In an internal memorandum released on Jan. 27, President Donald Trump called for “all federal agencies to stop issuing federal grants and loans,” according to Newsweek. Minutes before it was scheduled to take effect, the push was blocked by a federal judge. It is scheduled to be reconsidered on Feb. 3.
“The use of Federal resources to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies is a waste of taxpayer dollars that does not improve the day-to-day lives of those we serve,” said memo author Matthew J. Vaeth, acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, about the reasoning for the pause.
While the full scope of the programs affected is not known, grants given on an individual level will not be impacted by the pause, according to Newsweek.
“This temporary pause will provide the administration time to review agency programs and determine the best uses of the funding for those programs consistent with the law and the president’s priorities,” said Vaeth about the logistics of the pause.
Although many were concerned about national programs like the FAFSA, an online form that grants applicants enrolled in colleges and career schools with aid including grants, scholarships, loans and work-study according to the official website, there were secondary concerns about more local programs.
“Our entire program is dependent on it,” Leisel Powicki, the director of the TRIO program at Wayne State College, said.
TRIO Student Support Services is a program dedicated to assisting disabled students, limited income families and first-generation students through one-on-one coaching, group seminars, educational workshops and more.
Powicki also said students shouldn’t begin to panic, as she has followed the pause closely.
An important development includes one of the memo’s rules getting blocked by a federal judge minutes before the pause was due to go into effect, preventing it from applying to grant programs already in existence.
“We have been assured that our program, even after this decision, that we are not going to be cut in the middle of the year,” said Powicki, confirming the protection of the program’s funding after a meeting with the Council of Opportunity in Education.
Powicki also said that this doesn’t mean the program is exempt from review, and that it is likely more executive orders will be passed in regard to funding for educational programs.
“I’ve already contacted my representatives,” said Powicki. She also said students should pay attention to the decisions being made and use their voices to speak up for themselves.