Trump administration ends program to help low-income students get to college
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A program to prepare low-income Hoosier students for college has ended after the $35 million federal grant that paid for it was canceled.
Why it matters: The Indiana GEAR UP program served thousands of students. It's the latest casualty in President Trump's war on any education funding that is perceived as tied to "diversity, equity and inclusion" initiatives.
Catch up quick: GEAR UP, administered by Purdue University's College of Education, was federally funded since 2016 and received its most recent grant (a seven-year, $34.9 million award) last year.
- Just one year into that grant, it was abruptly canceled.
- The U.S. Department of Education said Purdue's grant application ran afoul of federal civil rights law and the department's policy of "prioritizing merit, fairness and excellence in education," according to WFYI.
The latest: The university could have appealed the GEAR UP grant termination, according to WFYI, but did not.
By the numbers: Since its start, GEAR UP worked with 10 school districts — including Indianapolis Public Schools and Warren Township — and more than 13,000 students.
- According to Purdue, about 97% of participating students graduated from high school, compared to 87% of low-income students statewide.
How it worked: The program started helping students in seventh grade and stayed with them through their first year of college or post-high school education.
- It provided after-school programming like family nights and STEM activities during the school year and summer; helped with college preparation and financial aid planning; and provided professional development for teachers.
The big picture: The Trump administration has pressured schools to end policies that specifically benefit people of color, or even ones that are perceived as doing so.
- Like many schools across the country, Purdue ended its DEI activities and initiatives earlier this year.
- "An increasing number of actions and policy measures at both the federal and state level have made it clear that doing so is a necessary part of our future," said Provost Patrick Wolfe in a May statement.
What they're saying: "We had hoped to double our impact in this next chapter — but the new grant got ended just as it was launching," the program posted on Facebook. "Still, the legacy lives on. In every student we empowered, every staff member who showed up, and every community we touched."