Scoop: ASU program is no longer named after Obama
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
President Obama delivers ASU's commencement address at Sun Devil Stadium on May 13, 2009. Photo: Joshua Lott/Getty Images
The Obama Scholars Program at Arizona State University is now called ASU Promise Plus, according to the university's webpage on special financial assistance programs for state residents.
The big picture: The change comes as ASU and other universities are navigating the contentious political climate of the Trump administration, which has sought to exert pressure on the higher education system.
Flashback: The university changed the name of the ASU Advantage Program to the Obama Scholars Program in 2009 shortly after it faced backlash for not awarding Obama an honorary degree ahead of his commencement address.
- The school also expanded the financial aid program to reach more students by raising the income cap for eligibility.
- "It has always been our intention to recognize and honor President Obama's accomplishments during his visit, but we had not yet determined the best or most appropriate way to do so," ASU president Michael Crow said at the time.
Zoom in: The program covers tuition and fees for up to four years for Arizona residents who are first-year, full-time students with a family income up to $42,400, per ASU's website. It's unclear how many students it serves.
What they're saying: The university wouldn't provide details on what prompted the name change.
- "ASU periodically reviews and updates program names to reflect the university's priorities and the students served," spokesperson Jerry Gonzalez tells Axios.
- "ASU Promise Plus reflects the university's continued commitment to expanding access and supporting Arizona students on their paths to degrees."
A spokesperson for Obama did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.
Zoom out: U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon last month issued universities a "national call to action" that urged — among other things — a "free exchange of ideas, wide-ranging debate, and openminded campus discourse."
- Crow called McMahon's call to action a "significant opportunity to respond in ways that will enhance American economic and competitive success, while addressing some of the concerns that have become matters of significant public debate."