Trump’s DEI crackdown forces closure of TRIO programmes: Here’s how thousands of students are affected

The Trump administration has terminated grants for more than a hundred federally funded college-access initiatives, disrupting a network that has long helped disadvantaged students prepare for higher education.

The decision has left institutions scrambling to sustain services that have supported thousands of low-income and first-generation learners for decades.

An unexpected termination

At the State University of New York (SUNY) Adirondack, staff of the 26-year-old Upward Bound programme were taken aback when they learnt that their federal grant had been cancelled. The Education Department informed the college in mid-September, after the annual programme start date, that its application had conflicted with the “interests of the current administration, Inside Higher Ed reports.The application had mentioned a goal to maintain an equal number of male and female participants, a measure aimed at reversing declining male participation. The department officials said that this emphasis aligned with the Biden administration’s priorities and was therefore inconsistent with the Trump administration’s stance.Kate O’Sick, the college’s dean for student affairs, said that the intention was to address local needs, not to exclude anyone. The institution, she said, serves an under-resourced area where young men often opt for immediate employment rather than further study, according to Inside Higher Ed.

A widening impact

The cancellations affected approximately 100 programmes in September, according to the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE), which advocates for TRIO initiatives. Another 23 had lost funding earlier in the year. While this represents just 3% of all TRIO programmes, the decision leaves over 43,000 students without access to resources such as academic tutoring, financial aid guidance, and university preparation.COE president Kimberly Jones told Inside Higher Ed that the grants withdrawn shared a common thread: many referenced diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) objectives or were affiliated with DEI offices. In some instances, she said, grants were revoked even when those offices had since been closed.

Political shift in a historically bipartisan space

The TRIO network, comprising initiatives such as Upward Bound, Talent Search, and Student Support Services, has historically enjoyed bipartisan backing. Previous administrations viewed the programmes as essential tools for social mobility. But President Donald Trump’s 2026 budget proposal had already called for TRIO’s elimination.In a congressional hearing earlier this year, Education Secretary Linda McMahon argued that the department “has no ability to go in and look at the accountability of TRIO programmes”. Her comments drew criticism, given extensive research showing that participants in TRIO programmes are significantly more likely to complete university degrees.The Education Department has also reduced staffing within the office responsible for administering TRIO grants. During the recent government shutdown, most of that unit’s employees were dismissed, leaving only a small number of federal workers in place, Inside Higher Ed reports.

Local programmes forced to close

At SUNY Plattsburgh, a public university in Plattsburgh, New York, United States, the end of funding halted assistance for 65 secondary-school pupils preparing their university applications. The programme, which also cited gender balance goals, had been a cornerstone of the region’s college-access efforts for decades. Without its workshops and mentoring sessions, many students now face the application and financial aid process alone.One director told Inside Higher Ed that school counsellors, already stretched thin, could not replace the intensive support TRIO had provided. “All that stuff we do hands-on, and it’s not happening,” he said.In Massachusetts, Suffolk University’s Veterans Upward Bound programme was also cancelled. It had been the state’s only initiative supporting military veterans returning to higher education. A veteran who participated in the programme told the university’s student newspaper that its tutoring and community environment were crucial for those re-entering classrooms after many years away.

Broader consequences

The timing of the terminations, coinciding with the start of the 2025-26 admissions cycle, has made their effects particularly acute. Jones of COE noted that not only school pupils but also university students and adult learners have been affected. “TRIO programmes help these students re-enter the higher education pipeline … a path many of them seek in order to improve their families’ economic futures,” she said.Local educators emphasise that the loss extends beyond students. O’Sick of SUNY Adirondack told Inside Higher Ed that the programme had inspired family members of participants to pursue their own studies. In Plattsburgh, alumni of the college’s 60-year-old Upward Bound initiative include community leaders and the town’s current mayor.

An uncertain future

While no further cuts are expected this year, COE warned that the dismissal of federal TRIO staff could result in significant delays and weaker oversight.

Grantees, Jones said, now receive less support from the Education Department even as compliance requirements remain stringent.State leaders, including Massachusetts governor Maura Healey, have condemned the funding terminations and are exploring short-term measures to sustain local access programmes. For the thousands of students left in limbo, however, the loss is immediate. What was once an enduring, bipartisan commitment to educational opportunity has, for now, become another casualty of political division.