President Donald Trump signs an executive order Photo Courtesy by The White House
On Sept. 10, the U.S. Department of Education announced it will end discretionary funding to several Minority-Serving Institutions (MSI) grant programs that meet racial or ethnic quotas.
The decision was made after the U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer said the Hispanic Serving Institutions programs violate the equal protection component of the fifth amendment due process clause. He also said the U.S. Department of Justice would not defend the Department of Education in ongoing litigation.
According to the Sept. 10 news release, $350 million in discretionary funds were going to be allocated to support the programs in 2025, but those funds will be reprogrammed into programs that “don’t include discriminatory racial and ethnic quotas and that advance administration priorities.”
Vice President for University Marketing and Communications at UTRGV Patrick Gonzales sent a statement to Vaquero Radio saying the university closely monitors actions by the federal and state government and assesses any impacts their decisions may have on the institution.
The statement read, and I quote, “Our priority remains to serve the Rio Grande Valley and beyond via an innovative and unique multicultural education dedicated to student access and success.”
