A planned Black History Month event has been called off. A laboratory aimed at combating hunger has been closed down. Student visas have been rescinded but later restored with their duration still unclear. Prospects for students seeking to advance in scientific fields seem to be dimming.
In the initial half-year span of the Trump administration, numerous alterations have swept through the nation’s higher education institutions. Although President Trump’s public disputes with Harvard and Columbia garnered significant media focus, students across various college campuses nationwide are witnessing firsthand how these policy shifts impact their academic environment.
cuts
towards scientific and medical research,
clampdown
Regarding any initiatives advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), taking a more assertive approach recently,
policies
for those carrying student loan debt,
revoking of visas
for international students
and more
.
A number of the administration’s moves are facing legal challenges, yet they’re altering how students engage with one another, the support they receive from their schools, and even whether they feel secure within this country.
The Hechinger Report sent journalists across the nation to examine how recent transformations impact college-goers. To grasp this novel phase of tertiary education, reporters ventured into university settings within four distinct states: California, Illinois, Louisiana, and Texas.
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.
Louisiana State University
BATON ROUGE, La. — In the previous autumn, Louisiana State University student A’shawna Smith conceived of starting a new campus organization aimed at informing students about their legal rights and addressing wider issues within the criminal justice system. As a sociology major who had interned at a law firm during the preceding summer, Smith observed numerous clients lacking knowledge regarding what they were entitled to following an arrest.
Smith, who is entering their final year of college, named the initiative “The Justice Overhaul” and quickly brought onboard fellow students along with a faculty advisor. Together, they drafted a mission statement and honed their skills as student organization leaders. On February 20th, LSU’s student governing body, which distributes funds derived from student activity fees, granted them $1,200. With this funding, Smith and her peers intended to expand membership and arrange various activities.
On April 8, the treasurer of Injustice Reform got a text message from Cortney Greavis, who serves as LSU’s student government advisor. She informed them that LSU would be taking back the funding because the organization’s mission statement conflicted with recent federal and state regulations concerning Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives. Their mission included references to racial inequalities and issues related to law enforcement violence; however, those involved weren’t made aware specifically which terms had breached these guidelines. To sustain the group, Smith along with other key members began contributing personal funds—small amounts like ten dollars at times—to cover expenses, according to Bella Porché, an upcoming senior serving on the leadership team.
One method through which students claim administrators at LSU—the state’s leading institution—have limited their actions and expressions involves revoking awards from student organizations. This has occurred since the U.S. Department of Education became involved.
wrote
To educational institutions across the country on Valentine’s Day. The letter outlined DEI initiatives—aimed at addressing present and past discrimination—as being discriminatory itself and warned these schools could lose their federal funding if they continued considering race in areas such as admissions, financial aid, housing, training, and various other practices.
Since the letter, conversations about DEI on campus have transformed into discussions that seem “anti-gay and anti-Black,” according to Emma Miller, a rising senior and elected student senator. She added that students from minority backgrounds now feel unsafe, unrepresented, and invisible as DEI initiatives are being sidelined and universities remain silent on this issue.
In a
March 7 report
The university outlined numerous modifications implemented to adhere to the requests mentioned in the correspondence. These alterations included discontinuing preferences previously offered to students from historically marginalized communities regarding specific privately endowed scholarship opportunities; opening up memberships in institutionally supported student clubs—such as a women-in-business organization—to everyone; and eliminating events seen as highlighting racial differences, including even an exercise session inaugurating Black History Month.
The student government representatives assert that these limitations impede their operational capabilities. Sophomore Tyhlar Holliway, who is part of the student government’s Black Caucus, mentioned that college officials effectively blocked the group’s suggestion for the student government to release a statement following the Department of Education communication endorsing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
The LSU public relations team failed to reply to both interview requests and an email containing a series of questions. Additionally, the head of the institution’s civil rights and Title IX office refused to comment.
Miller stated that administrators informed student leaders that every piece of proposed legislation needs to undergo review by the school’s general counsel to ensure adherence to the guidelines set forth on March 7th. For instance, the administration prevented a student council proposal aimed at funding an event focused on Black hair care, which was intended to assist students in preparing for future careers and professional engagements. “We attend various conferences and job interviews, so understanding how to maintain our hair appropriately is crucial,” explained senior Paris Holman, a member of the student government who identifies as Black.
Students have similarly altered the wording of various proposals to prevent appearing supportive of DEI initiatives. According to Holman, during one instance, members of the student senate modified the phrasing within a bill intended to finance an annual celebration hosted by a minority student group, thus eliminating all mentions linking the gathering specifically to this demographic.
The school also overturned choices made by the student government regarding funding for various groups, such as one led by A’shawna Smith, using student fees. In February, the student government approved providing $641 to assist a Black pre-med student attending a medical education conference, partly so she could relay her knowledge back to other aspiring med students. However, several weeks afterward, she got an email from Greavis, the student government advisor, stating that she couldn’t use university funds for this purpose since those resources were now barred from being spent on “diversity, equity, and inclusion” related activities, initiatives, programs, or trips. Attempts to reach Greavis for comment did not yield a response.
The email didn’t specify why the medical conference crossed the line. But the sponsoring organization’s mission statement notes its commitment to “supporting current and future underrepresented minority medical students,” and a conference plenary speaker was scheduled to address the “enduring case for DEI in medicine.” Fewer than
6 percent of doctors
Are Black and research has been
shown
enhanced health results for African American patients when treated by doctors of the same ethnicity.
“It doesn’t seem like a real democracy,” stated Holman regarding their experience in student government at present.
She and her fellow students believe that the university’s measures are beginning to reshape the overall atmosphere at LSU, an institution that caters to almost 40,000 undergraduates and graduates within its campuses adorned with Italian Renaissance architecture under the shade of magnolia trees and Southern live oaks. The student body comprises about 60% white students and around 18% African American students, as stated.
federal data
.
Mila Fair, a second-year student majoring in journalism who works as a reporter at the university’s television station, mentioned that students confide in her saying they hesitate to participate.
protests
Partly due to LSU’s new anti-DEI regulations and the nationwide suppression of student protests, those who choose to participate are frequently hesitant to appear on camera with her, she mentioned.
The Latin American studies professor, Andrew Sluyter, mentioned that administrators usually pay close attention to the student government—often more so than to the faculty government—but they are currently concerned about students potentially causing political complications for the institution. Sluyter experienced firsthand issues related to the DEI restrictions when, as part of an initiative in February aimed at removing mentions of diversity from school websites, the university removed hundreds of pages containing DEI-related material. This included deleting a 2022 press release that announced advancements in this area at LSU.
prestigious fellowship
He had triumphed over the issue of “racial disparities in higher education.”
Students acknowledge the pressure faced by LSU due to directives from the federal government; however, they hope that the administration will advocate for their interests, according to graduate student Alicia Cerquone, who also serves as a student senator. “What we’re looking for is some form of communication from the university indicating its dedication to supporting its community,” she stated. “That includes showing us support and promising to safeguard the well-being of all students.”
—
Steven Yoder
UC Berkeley
Since early April, Rayne Xue, a UC Berkeley undergraduate sophomore, has been anxiously observing the actions of the Trump administration.
one step after another
to
limit international students’ access
to American higher education.
Initially, there was an unexpected revocation followed by a reversal regarding visa approvals for 23 students and alumni from UC Berkeley. Subsequently, the administration restricted Harvard’s capacity to admit foreign students—a decision halted by a federal court order—prompting concerns about potential actions against Berkeley. Around the time when this year’s graduates were rejoicing over commencement ceremonies, Secretary of State Marco Rubio suspended interviews for fresh student visas and declared his intention to “actively rescind” those held by Chinese students.
Xue, hailing from Beijing and having secured a position in the student senate earlier this year with a focus on backing international students, stated that the administration’s moves target a vital aspect of daily university life at Berkeley.
She stated, “College presents a once-in-a-lifetime chance to shed biases and adopt fresh viewpoints, achievements that cannot be accomplished without enrolling students with varied geographical and cultural origins.”
Approximately 16% of the over 45,000 students enrolled at UC Berkeley originate from countries beyond U.S. borders, making their academic journey at one of California’s premier public research institutions. This picturesque setting features streams meandering through the grounds under the shade of towering redwood trees, with designated spots reserved for Nobel laureates among others. The majority of international attendees hail from nations such as China, India, South Korea, and Canada. These non-resident scholars contribute significantly more financially due to higher tuition fees compared to those paid by state locals, thereby enriching the institution’s funds which also assist fellow students economically. Additionally, many engage deeply in pioneering studies across disciplines including but not limited to computer science, engineering, and chemistry.
The current tightening of immigration policies under the Trump administration, coupled with significant cuts in federal research funding, is causing concern among international students regarding their prospects at U.S. universities. In response, numerous students have altered their behaviors; some have decided against traveling for personal reasons, while others steer clear from participating in or even approaching campus protest events due to fears of potential surveillance and documentation.
“It’s challenging for international students to feel safe when they can’t predict what new charges the administration may bring against them next, or if they could become victims of unfair targeting,” stated a global studies major who chose to remain anonymous due to concerns about potential backlash.
Tomba Morreau, a Dutch sophomore majoring in sociology, mentioned that he ceased sharing political content online—just as a precautionary measure.
Paul Fine, who serves as co-chair of the Berkeley Faculty Association and speaks for roughly one-fifth of the university’s tenured professors, finds this form of self-censorship concerning.
The federal policies are fostering an environment of fear, causing individuals to self-censor and remain inconspicuous, avoiding fully expressing themselves in both academics and activism, as per his statement.
Related:
Foreign students are reconsidering their plans to come to the U.S., which poses an issue for universities.
Students from abroad in Fine’s courses mentioned they wished to join a recent demonstration against potential federal actions threatening higher education, yet expressed concerns about possible repercussions. Some also informed him that they decided not to miss their academics and thus skipped international conferences outside the U.S., which they usually wouldn’t have avoided.
“Berkeley truly takes pride in serving as an intellectual center where individuals from across the globe come together to tackle some of the most significant issues,” Fine stated. However, this identity is now under threat, particularly due to potential and real reductions in grant funding, which makes it more difficult for professors to recruit international graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, he added.
He found it most distressing to hear from disheartened Chinese students who had fled a restrictive regime for the U.S., only to find similar restrictions on academic freedom in their new home.
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Xue expressed her hope that the current university crisis might bring focus to the difficulties faced by international students, such as restricted access to financial assistance and the misconception that they are all financially well-off. Alongside fellow members of the student government, she is advocating for increased funding to be allocated towards enhancing the services provided by Berkeley’s international office, which offers personalized support regarding visa matters and job placement.
For Lily Liu, a Chinese computer scientist, 2025 promised to be a year filled with significant achievements. She completed her doctoral degree earlier this year, secured a position at a top artificial intelligence firm, and plans to get married in November.
However, the shifting policies of the Trump administration regarding international scholars have made things more complex for Liu, who is part of a federal program designed to extend her visa by up to one year after graduation, allowing her time to acquire work experience in the U.S. Worried about potential issues returning, she decided against making summertime travel arrangements with her family. Additionally, she is contemplating hosting her wedding in the United States instead of China because numerous relatives would likely face difficulties attending due to these policy changes.
For international students, each policy impacts us significantly,” she stated. Therefore, Liu proceeds with caution. Following the delay in publishing her thesis, she went to Berkeley’s international office to ensure this issue would not interfere with her work permit. Although her fiancé possesses a green card, suggesting greater stability in his immigration status, she remarked that nowadays, one can never be too certain.
— Felicia Mello
The University of Texas in San Antonio
In San Antonio, Texas, Reina Saldivar developed an enduring passion for science from a young age—her primary television obsession was “Animal Planet.” However, despite this early interest, she believed she would likely end up working as a lab technician conducting culture tests throughout her career. It wasn’t until she impulsively applied to a research-oriented program following her initial year at the University of Texas at San Antonio that another path began to unfold before her.
The initiative known as Maximizing Access to Research Careers, abbreviated as MARC, was launched by the National Institutes of Health several decades back at educational institutions across the nation with the aim to
prepare
Students, particularly those from historically marginalized communities, for careers in the biomedical sciences.
Saldivar gained entry into the program and used much of her time at the university laboratory, assisting with the development of a carrier molecule for a novel Lyme disease vaccine. Having recently graduated this past spring, Saldivar now intends to pursue a doctoral degree and ultimately come back to academic research.
“What I learned from MARC is that my aspirations are within grasp,” she stated.
Saldivar is one of many individuals who have taken part in the MARC program since its establishment in 1980 at the University of Texas at San Antonio. However, she might also become one of the final participants. In April, Edwin Barea-Rodriguez, the program’s director at UTSA, received an email containing a formal notice that abruptly ended the initiative and recommended ceasing enrollment for future groups.
The correspondence mentioned “shifts in NIH/HHS priorities.” Over the past several months, the Trump administration has made such alterations.
canceled
At minimum, several programs aimed at educating researchers and increasing diversity within the scientific community were initiated as part of an attempt to eliminate what the president
labels
illegal DEI.
To The Hechinger Report, the NIH stated that they “are dedicated to returning the agency to its legacy of maintaining top-tier, evidence-backed research” and are currently assessing grants to ensure the organization is effectively tackling the “nation’s ongoing crisis of chronic diseases.”
With
MARC ending
Barea-Rodriguez is looking for ways to keep supporting current participants so they can finish their programs by the upcoming graduation. But without access to federal funds, these budding researchers are feeling uneasy about what lies ahead not just for themselves but also for the field of public health as a whole.
“Years went into getting us to this point,” stated Barea-Rodriguez, adding that he wasn’t representing his university, “but within just a hundred days, everything fell apart.”
UTSA’s extensive campus is located at the northwestern fringe of San Antonio, distant from popular attractions such as the Alamo and the River Walk. Nearly forty-four percent of the student body consists of individuals who fit this description.
31,000 undergraduate students
are the first in their families to go to college; over 61 percent identify as Hispanic or Latino. The university was among
the first
across the country to gain acknowledgment from the Department of Education as
Hispanic-serving institution
, a term for colleges where at minimum one-fourth of full-time undergraduate students identify as Hispanic.
In 1995, when Barea-Rodriguez came to teach at the institution, many residents viewed it as little more than an upscale community college, he mentioned. However, over the past thirty years, the financial commitments from NIH via MARC and various other federal initiatives have contributed significantly to transforming it into what it is today.
top-tier
A research university that offered students such as Saldivar access to top-tier opportunities near their doorstep and nurtured talents that drove the economy forward in San Antonio and beyond.
The Trump administration has quickly upended much of that infrastructure, not only by terminating career pipeline programs for scholars, but also by pulling more than
$8.2 million
in National Science Foundation money from UTSA.
One of those canceled grants paid for student researchers and the development of new technologies to improve equity in math education and better serve elementary school kids from underrepresented backgrounds in a city that is
about 64 percent Hispanic.
Another aimed to provide science, technology, engineering and math programming to bilingual and low-income communities.
Administrators at UTSA did not reply to inquiries regarding how federal funding freezes and reductions are impacting the institution. Across the country,
over 1,600 NSF grants
have been axed since January.
Related:
So much for saving the planet. Climate careers, plus many others, evaporate for class of 2025
In San Antonio, undergraduate students stated that MARC and similar defunct programs assisted them in preparing for both their academic pursuits and future professions that could have otherwise remained out of reach. Inside a laboratory renovated and equipped through funding from the NIH, where old notes and diagrams still lingered on the frosted glass whiteboards—evidence of ongoing student inquiries—they recounted how these initiatives guided them in crafting abstracts, refining their public speaking and writing abilities, building networks, assembling resumes, and seeking summer research placements, travel grants, and chances for further education.
“All of the accomplishments I’ve gathered have largely come as a direct result of the program,” stated Seth Fremin, who is a senior.
biochemistry major
Who transitioned to UTSA from a community college and has co-authored five papers in prominent journals, with several others forthcoming. Following graduation, they will begin a fully financed PhD program at the University of Pittsburgh to further their investigation into the mechanisms of chemical reactions.
Likewise, Elizabeth Negron, who is entering her final year as an undergraduate student, is utilizing her summer break to conduct research at MIT. Her focus is on investigating skin microbiomes with the aim of determining whether specific types of bacteria might make individuals more susceptible to developing cancer.
It’s odd encountering students who weren’t accepted into these programs,” Negron remarked, speaking about MARC. “These individuals haven’t attended conferences. They’ve missed out on conducting research. They also haven’t had the chance to guide other students… Reflecting on how different things might be without those opportunities is quite peculiar. I’m not sure whether I’d have achieved this level of success otherwise.
Without funding for MARC being available, Negron mentioned that she will likely have to find employment when she goes back to school in the fall to cover her everyday costs. Previously, conducting research served as her main source of income.
“She mentioned, without MARC, the issue boils down to whether she can at least pay for her tuition and meet her most fundamental requirements.”
— Alexandra Villarreal
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
In late January, Peter Goldsmith got word that his Soybean Innovation Lab at the University of Illinois was about to lose all its funding, catching him completely off guard. As the lab’s director, this meant he needed to inform his 30 staff members that their jobs were ending and notify research collaborators throughout Africa that activities would cease. Additionally, funds dried up so drastically that watering the soybean fields in Africa became unaffordable for the lab.
When Julia Paniago received the news, she was in Malawi. She stated that upon their return the following day, “There was a great deal of uncertainty among the team members, and many people were crying.”
The University of Illinois’ Soybean Innovation Lab (SIL) was part of a network of 17 labs at universities across the country, all working on research related to food production and reducing global hunger, and all funded through the U.S. Agency for International Development — until the Trump administration shut down USAID.
Soybeans, which offer both oil and nutritious protein-rich food, are not widely cultivated in Malawi. Researchers from SIL have been striving towards dual objectives: assisting local farmers to boost soybean cultivation and alleviate malnutrition, as well as fostering sufficient enthusiasm for the crop locally so that it might create a fresh export opportunity for American farmers.
The lab’s researchers work in soybean breeding, economics and mechanical research as well as education. They hope to show that soybean production in Africa is worth further investment so that eventually the private sector will come in after them.
“The people who work at SIL, they like being right at the frontier of change,” Goldsmith said. “It’s high-risk work — that’s what the universities do, that’s what scientific research is about.”
UI, the state’s flagship with a sprawling campus spread between the cities of Urbana and Champaign, is noted for its research work, especially agricultural research.
Across the university, labs and researchers faced funding reductions implemented under the Trump administration. According to Melissa Edwards, associate vice chancellor for research and innovation, over $25 million was slashed from various sources such as the NIH, NSF, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. This equates to a loss of 59 grants, representing 3.6% of their entire federal grant portfolio.
Annette Donnelly, who just received her doctorate in education, is among those affected. Her research focuses on educating malnourished children in Africa and developing courses to help Africans learn how to process soybeans into oil.
Related:
The college degree gap between Black and white Americans was always bad. It’s getting worse
In April, SIL received a crucial boost with an anonymous donation of $1 million, ensuring the laboratory can operate until April 2026. Although this contribution didn’t enable Goldsmith to bring back all his staff—SIL’s yearly operational expenses amounted to $3.3 million prior to the USAID reductions, which could have sustained operations up to 2027—the funds will permit SIL to carry on their studies in the Lower Shire Valley in Malawi. This initiative, according to him, aims to draw in new contributors who might support the ongoing activities at the facility.
The donation made in April helped save Donnelly’s position, however, her focus changed. “We’re engaged in research,” she explained, “yet we’re dedicating significant time to drafting proposals as well. This task has become far more important than before.”
Donnelly hopes to attract more funding so she can resume research she had started in western Kenya, demonstrating that introducing soy into children’s diets increased their protein intake by up to 65 percent, she said.
The impact that funding cuts will have on researchers at the soybean lab pales in comparison to the impact on their partners in Africa, Donnelly emphasized. There, she said, the cuts mean processors will likely slow production, limiting their ability to deliver soy products. “The consequences there are much bigger,” she said.
The Soybean Innovation Lab was funded through the Feed the Future initiative, a program to help partner countries develop better agricultural practices that began under the Obama administration in 2010. All 17 Feed the Future innovation labs funded through USAID lost funding, except for the one at Kansas State University, which studies heat-tolerant wheat.
The laboratory for soybeans is located in a serene part of the Illinois campus within a structure that previously served as the headquarters for the university’s veterinary medicine program. Just across the road, extensive rows of greenhouses house the various experimental projects conducted by the Crop Science Department.
At this location, Brian Diers is developing soybean varieties resistant to soybean rust—a condition that has hindered increased soybean cultivation throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. Though officially a professor emeritus and retired, Diers continues to contribute part-time at SIL for soybean breeding efforts. Unfortunately, the contribution made in April was insufficient to fully fund his activities. As a result, he now offers his services voluntarily.
“If we manage to boost African agriculture and increase its productivity, it will ultimately benefit their economies and subsequently create more opportunities for American farmers to sell produce in Africa,” he stated.
Goldsmith compared his laboratory’s efforts to the condition of American agriculture during the 1930s. Just as the Dust Bowl ravaged the Great Plains, Monsanto or a similar corporation might have intervened to address the issue, but they did not. Instead, public land-grant universities took action.
“As innovation stems from these public land-grant institutions in the U.S.,” Goldsmith stated, “and today they continue to be effective in American agriculture as well as in countries that are still progressing.”
He mentioned that commercial soybean producers are cautious about entering new markets that lack proven potential, so it falls upon SIL to show that a lucrative market can be established. “Our key advantage was that many large companies appreciated our products and technology for soybeans and were interested in joining this sector; however, they found the market itself not very profitable,” explained Goldsmith regarding the situation with the African soybean industry.
Diers stated that federal funding reductions threaten more than just the advancement of trade and worldwide food production; they also jeopardize the future cohort of scientists.
“There’s a risk we might lose an entire generation of scientists who will avoid entering the field due to the lack of current funding,” he stated.
— Miles MacClure
Reach out to editor Lawrie Mifflin for contact.
mifflin@hechingerreport.org
or 212-678-4078
.
Reach out to editor Caroline Preston at 212-870-8965, through Signal using CarolineP.83, or via email at
preston@hechingerreport.org
.
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