Scoop: ASU restores Obama's name to financial aid program
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Former President Obama and ASU president Michael Crow on May 13, 2009, after Obama gave a commencement address. Photo: Joshua Lott/Getty Images
Arizona State University's decision to pull former President Obama's name from a student financial aid program appears to have been short-lived.
State of play: The ASU Promise Plus program, which the university's website on Tuesday said "was previously known as the Obama Scholars Program," is now again described online as the President Barack Obama Scholars Program.
What they're saying: ASU spokesperson Jerry Gonzales on Wednesday told Axios via email that the university "continues to have Obama Scholars. It is one set of scholarships offered as part of a … larger portfolio which is called the ASU Promise Program."
Zoom in: Gonzalez provided a link to the financial aid webpage that a day earlier said ASU Promise Plus was formerly called the Obama Scholars Program.
- The webpage no longer mentions ASU Promise Plus and appears to be the same as a version archived on the Wayback Machine website on Sept. 8, prior to the change.
- Two other ASU webpages on deferments and appeals for scholarships still refer to the ASU Promise Plus program. Archived versions show that they previously referred to it as "Obama scholars."
- Gonzalez did not respond to several follow-up emails or a phone call from Axios.
Catch up quick: Gonzales on Tuesday explained the removal of Obama's name by saying ASU "periodically reviews and updates program names to reflect the university's priorities and the students served," and that "ASU Promise Plus reflects the university's continued commitment to expanding access and supporting Arizona students on their paths to degrees."
Between the lines: The removal of Obama's name came as universities navigate the Trump administration's attempts to reshape higher education.
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.
How it works: 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.
A spokesperson for Obama did not immediately respond to a request for comment.