Week of May 12
Pell Grants
Across the CSU system, 211,855 CSU students receive Pell Grants. The CSU is working to raise awareness about the importance of the Pell Grant, and the potential consequences to the CSU’s most vulnerable students if cuts were made to the program.
If the House Reconciliation Bill, which aims to cut $200 million from the Pell Grant program each year, were signed into law, 60% of the CSU’s Pell Grant students would have their Pell Grant cut or fully lose access to their grant (based on Fall 2024 enrollment):
- 47% of students (100,430 students) who previously received the maximum award would see a prorated amount to their grant;
- 8% of students (17,237 students) who previously saw a prorated reduction to their award would have their grant further prorated;
- 5% of students (10,885 students) would become ineligible for any grant.
The bill would disproportionately cut aid to parenting and working students by:
- Redefining full-time students as 30 credits per year (15 per semester), up from the current 24. This will result in massive cuts to students’ financial aid.
- Limiting Pell eligibility to students enrolled at least half-time—now defined as 15 credits per year (7.5 per semester). Currently, Pell can be received at any enrollment level, even one credit.
SEVIS Reinstatements
The CSU reports that all 70 students whose visas were revoked have now had their SEVIS accounts returned to active status. While the CSU is glad to see that these visas have been rightfully reinstated, we remain committed to working with our legislative partners to ensure that qualified students remain eligible to lawfully study in the United States and access their education.
Week of May 5
House Committee Hearing on Antisemitism
On May 7, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce held a hearing titled
“Beyond the Ivy League: Stopping the Spread of Antisemitism on American Campuses”. California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo President Jeff Armstrong
testified before the committee about how his institution is continually working to stop the spread of antisemitism and ensure all students feel safe on campus. President Armstrong informed members of Congress about the decisive actions taken at Cal Poly in response to threatening activity on campus and initiatives moving forward to support the vibrant community of Jewish students.
The day before the hearing, the American Jewish Committee, ACE, AASCU, APLU and the other presidential associations for higher education institutions released a pledge to move forward with reforms to fight campus antisemitism.
Bipartisan RESEARCHER Act Introduced
U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) introduced bipartisan legislation to bolster U.S. leadership in STEM by requiring federal research agencies to help address the financial insecurity crisis among graduate and postdoctoral researchers. The
Relieving Economic Strain to Enhance American Resilience & Competitiveness in Higher Education & Research (RESEARCHER) Act would also commission studies to better understand the landscape of financial insecurity for these researchers and improve the STEM career pipeline.
CSU Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research Ganesh Raman said, “The California State University applauds the introduction of the RESEARCHER Act. Addressing the financial instability faced by graduate and postdoctoral researchers is critical to ensuring a strong and sustainable research workforce. This legislation is an important step toward creating equitable and supportive conditions for the next generation of innovators and scholars.”
Federal Focus Newsletter
CSU employees who wish to receive a biweekly newsletter from the CSU’s Office of Federal Relations may subscribe
here. (You must be a CSU employee to subscribe.)
Week of April 28
President’s Budget Released
On Friday, May 2, the White House released its
discretionary budget for Fiscal Year 2026. The Trump Administration is looking to make major reductions to discretionary programs including those in the
CSU’s system-wide federal priorities. Next, appropriations leaders in the House and the Senate will determine if any of the White House budget recommendations are adopted. Under current margins, Appropriations bills must achieve bipartisan support to become law.
IMPACT/NEXT STEPS: During the FY 2026 appropriations process, CSU and OFR will continue to work with the California congressional delegation and congressional leadership to show how the CSU and its students effectively leverage federal funding to drive the workforce of California and provide avenues for social mobility.
SEVIS Statuses Returned to Active
As of Wednesday, April 30, 69 out of the 70 impacted CSU students have seen their SEVIS status returned to active. Students can resume their classes and continue in the program. The CSU is pleased that these students’ statuses have been returned to active and is looking into the case of the remaining student to try to resolve the issue.
IMPACT/NEXT STEPS: While the CSU is glad to see that these visas have been rightfully reinstated, we remain committed to working with our legislative partners to ensure that qualified students remain eligible to lawfully study in the United States and access their education.
House Committee Passes Bill to Cut Pell Grant
On Wednesday, April 10, the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate both adopted a concurrent budget resolution that unlocks the reconciliation process, a legislative procedure in which committees are working to cut costs as part of a budget resolution.
As part of this process, the House Education and Workforce Committee passed a bill that included $351 billion in budget cuts on Wednesday, April 30. While the House bill has many problematic provisions, the committee included the following cuts to the Pell Grant program:
This bill would change the definition of full-time student to require 30 credit hours a year or 15 per semester (assume 2 semesters). This is an increase above the current 24 credit hour requirement for full-time status and will reduce the awards of many of our Pell students.
This bill changes Pell eligibility to only provide Pell grants to students who attend half-time or more. Currently students can receive Pell at any enrollment intensity, even one credit. Based on the change in the definition of a full-time student explained in the first bullet, half-time would be 15 credit hours a year or 7.5 credits per semester (assume two semesters).
IMPACT/NEXT STEPS: Such a cut would have a dramatic impact across the CSU system, especially to our students who rely on this financial lifeline to access postsecondary education. If the House bill had applied to fall 2024 CSU Pell Grant recipients:
47% (100,430) of students who previously received the maximum award would see a prorated reduction to their grant,
8% (17,237) of students who previously saw a prorated reduction to their award would have their grant further prorated, and
5% (10,885) of students would become ineligible for any grant.
The CSU Office of Federal Relations and the CSU will continue to work with the California congressional delegation and congressional leadership to demonstrate the importance of the Pell Grant to its students, and to continue to advocate for full funding of the Pell Grant.
The House will package this bill with others for its full reconciliation package, which could include additional cuts to the CSU, our students, and our mission.
California Emergency Response Corps (CERC) Program Members Paused from Service
As of Tuesday, April 29, due to the sudden elimination of federal AmeriCorps funding, the members serving seven CSUs through the California Emergency Response Corps (CERC) program have been paused from service. This pause may become a full termination in 30 days unless federal funding is reinstated. The campuses impacted are Dominguez Hills, Fullerton, Humboldt, Monterey Bay, San Diego, San Francisco and San Luis Obispo.
These members have been serving CSU since September 2023, providing 40 hours per week of support to the CSU’s university emergency management programs. These members’ stipends are being terminated, and because of their status as volunteers they are not eligible for unemployment or continued health benefits. Most of these members were deployed in support of the Los Angeles wildfires working long hours in difficult conditions. Those who were still deployed have been recalled effective immediately.
IMPACT/NEXT STEPS: This is a devastating loss for these members personally as well as for the CSU’s emergency management programs. Many of the members played key roles in emergency management training, outreach, and education that was ongoing to campus communities. The CSU considered this program a win-win, combining its mission of cultivating California’s emerging workforce with its goal of bolstering safety on its campuses.
California has since joined a
multi-state lawsuit against the federal government regarding these and other cuts to AmeriCorps programs.
Week of April 21, 2025
SEVIS Updates
The CSU is pleased to see that several of its international students have had their legal status restored and that the termination of their SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor program) record has been reversed. As of this morning, 15 of the CSU’s students have seen their SEVIS account changed to active status. The CSU is monitoring this development and continue to provide support to impacted students.
Debt Collections on Student Loans
The Department of Education
has announced that it will begin collecting on defaulted student loans on May 5. Since the start of the COVID pandemic in March 2020, the Department hasn’t collected on defaulted loans (no payments on loans were required for three years). The federal government can withhold tax refunds or garnish wages for those who are in default.
Executive Orders Focused on Higher Education
On Wednesday, April 23, President Trump signed several executive orders focused on higher education. Those orders include:
Foreign Funds to Institutions of Higher Education:
This
executive order will cut off federal funding from colleges and universities that fail to disclose their sources of foreign money of $250,000 or more in accordance with section 117 of the Higher Education Act of 1965. The order outlines that certain federal grants for universities could be revoked if they do not comply with the administration’s latest funding disclosure requirements.
Accreditation Reform:
This
executive order aims to overhaul higher education accreditation. It calls on the Secretary of Education to ensure that accreditors focus on student outcomes, resume recognition of new accreditors to foster competition, prioritize intellectual diversity, and hold accreditors accountable for violating civil rights laws.
This order will likely affect the CSU’s accreditor WASC based on DEI requirements. The CSU’s Office of Federal Relations will be monitoring any actions by the Secretary of Education or Attorney General.
Advance AI Education for American Youth:
This
executive order directs the administration to prepare students to be AI proficient. Specifically, the EO establishes a Taskforce on AI Education, chaired by the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology and including the Secretary of Education and the Secretary of Labor. The order also directs the Secretary of Education and Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to prioritize research on teacher training about the use of AI in education. Further, the Secretaries of Labor, Education and the Director of NSF are directed to create opportunities for high school students to take AI courses and certification programs.
Modernizing the American Workforce:
This
executive order directs the Secretaries of Labor, Education, and Commerce to modernize American workforce programs to prepare citizens for high-paying skilled trade jobs. It directs that this comprehensive strategy should capitalize on the AI revolution and promote apprenticeships.
The CSU is continuing to review these orders to determine the impacts on its universities.
Week of April 14, 2025
AmeriCorps Cuts
ACTION:
On April 16, hundreds of employees comprising approximately 85% of the federal staff in the Washington D.C. headquarters of
AmeriCorps were placed on leave. A day earlier, the agency had dismissed 1,500 volunteers who were serving in its
National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC).
BACKGROUND:
AmeriCorps is the federal agency for national service and volunteerism. For the 2024/25 program year, the CSU has 33 AmeriCorps programs (including two systemwide programs, CSU STEM VISTA and CSU Emergency Response Corps).
Although the CSU does not currently have students serving in the NCCC, those students and alumni who have served in the past have gained invaluable experience and expertise in community-based issues.
POTENTIAL IMPACT/NEXT STEPS:
AmeriCorps is a vital national service agency that has been an important partner to the CSU and the communities it serves. Thousands of students have gained valuable hands-on experience working with youth and with critical causes in their communities through AmeriCorps programs. Just as importantly, these students have learned the value and importance of giving their talents back to the community.
The CSU is closely monitoring the situation and is continuing to assess the impact it will have to its programs.
Week of April 6, 2025
Update on Recent Visa Revocations for CSU Students
The CSU is monitoring the situation, working with campuses, and will continue to provide assistance to all students in need. CSU students are asked to work with the International Student Services office at their university. The CSU is committed to the well-being and success of all our students and celebrates the rich diversity of backgrounds and perspectives that our international students contribute to the CSU.
As of April 15, 2025, a total of 70 CSU students have been impacted by visa revocations since the start of the year.
Week of March 31, 2025
Federal Research/ NIH Grants Lawsuit
ACTION:
On Friday, April 4, sixteen state attorneys general
filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for “failing to disperse grant funds and for unlawfully terminating existing grants for medical and public health research institutions across the country.” California Attorney General Bonta co-led the suit with the attorneys general of Massachusetts, Maryland, and Washington; along with the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Wisconsin.
The Trump Administration has frozen the highly competitive process for approving new NIH grants and has terminated multiple existing NIH grants. The attorneys general say that the grants were terminated “without any reasonable explanations after those grants were funded based on their scientific merit and potential innovative impact.” Similarly, training grants have been pulled from review with a statement from NIH that those grants “no longer effectuate agency priorities.”
The attorneys general argue that the Trump Administration does not have the authority to unilaterally decline to spend congressionally appropriated funds. As such, the attorneys general seek a temporary restraining order to immediately restore grant funding to the states and bar the administration from unlawfully terminating grants.
BACKGROUND:
NIH is the federal agency responsible for biomedical and public health research. Over 80% of Congressional funding supports NIH research and training at external labs, schools, and hospitals. It is estimated that every $1 invested in NIH research generates $2.56 of economic activity.
Over the years, NIH-supported research has allowed NIH scientists to pioneer the rubella vaccine, eradicating a disease that, in the 1960s, killed thousands of babies and left thousands more with lifelong disabilities. NIH studies also led to the discovery of the BRCA mutation, helping countless Americans reduce their risk of breast and ovarian cancer. NIH research fueled the development of treatments for HIV and AIDS, transforming what used to be a fatal disease into one with a nearly normal life expectancy.
POTENTIAL IMPACT:
The termination of NIH funding for research interventions to prevent or treat the spread of diseases like HIV/AIDS, Covid and other virus families of pandemic concern — including emerging diseases such as Dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika — is believed to increase the risk of and incidence of these diseases in California. The terminations may have the most significant impact on some of the most vulnerable Californians, including women experiencing domestic violence, children at risk of suicide, and underserved communities at a higher risk of chronic or infectious diseases.
NIH funding is vital to the CSU’s ability to offer immersive student learning and discovery through distinctive research programs that directly benefit the health of all Americans, according to Ganesh Raman, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research at the CSU. “These grants not only support research, but they also provide stipend and other funding that impact hundreds of CSU students, staff and faculty who engage in meaningful, and career-defining work. Terminating these federal grants will cause irreparable harm, undermine scientific progress and our collective capacity to innovate and lead California’s economy,” said Raman.
Specifically, from the filing:
Since February 20, 2025, the CSU has received at least 17 termination notices, including 5 where it serves as the primary awardee. These notices collectively amount to a loss of nearly $7 million in budgeted funding to the CSU, but CSU estimates the number may be much higher as grants continue to be cancelled. San Diego State University (SDSU) alone currently has 23 non-competing renewals pending action by the grants office to authorize the next segment of funding, 34 new proposals and competing renewals totaling approximate $16 million awaiting NIH study section review, and 10 new proposals and competing renewals totaling approximately $3.2 million that received fundable scores awaiting NIH advisory council and Notice of Award.
Over the last fifteen years, CSU campuses have made concerted investments in student training, faculty hiring, and institutional support of medical and public health research. Delays in NIH funding decisions and evaluation of applications and terminations now endanger all of those efforts. SDSU, for example, has instituted a hiring freeze on new faculty and staff, and will now defer long-term research projects. Terminations over grants studying health disparities have directly impacted the salaries of SDSU staff, faculty, and students. Without NIH funding, some students may need to discontinue their studies and in the case of international students, leave the country.
The damage from grant terminations to CSU campuses’ relationship with the surrounding community and patients is similarly irreparable. For example, federally funded studies establish that certain youth are at a higher risk of suicide and suicide ideation. Yet one of the grants terminated funded suicide prevention services to at-risk youth and was terminated in the middle of their multi-year period without any opportunity to bridge individuals at high risk of suicide to new services providers.
CSU campuses to date have received no funding or direction from NIH concerning the participants enrolled in terminated trials even where the potential for increased suicide attempts and subsequent death is high because every single participant in a study is at high risk for suicide. This is particularly damaging to CSU’s relationship with the community health providers that often support enrollment in intervention studies. The termination of the grants often means that researchers cannot fully evaluate whether an intervention is statistically effective—essentially wasting the valuable resources already expended and delaying scientific progress, stifling innovation, and impeding the development of new medical treatments, technologies, and public health initiatives.
Grant terminations, especially without warning, are also directly affecting students at the CSU. Graduate students, who are at the core of research laboratories, rely on NIH grants not only for resources to support research, but also for their own stipends, tuition support, and training programs. Sudden cuts have immediate and consequential impacts to these students, who often live paycheck to paycheck, putting their housing and basic needs at risk.
NIH grants also support undergraduate students at CSU. For example, the CSU URISE program is funded through a grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and is meant to broaden perspectives in future scientific and biomedical research by identifying students’ interest in pursuing research as a career and by providing training opportunities to be competitive for entering graduate programs. Students accepted into the U-RISE program receive trainee stipends to defray living expenses during research training experiences, and also support student trainee travel expenses to attend scientific meetings with their mentors and help defray university personnel expenses and supplies. At least 9 CSU universities received a notice from NIH stating that the university must “cease project activities as of the current budget period end date of 3/31/2025,” and as a result these nine CSU universities must immediately terminate stipends for students in the middle of the semester, causing participating students direct and significant harm, as their financial aid packages account for U-RISE stipends. The impact from the termination of grants funding training programs like U-RISE is also profound. It inflicts emotional and academic distress upon students, damaging the pipeline of future researchers. The CSU, with limited resources, bears a disproportionate burden, exacerbating financial strain and competitive disadvantages
NEXT STEPS:
The CSU is continuing to work closely with its partners and to track the next steps as this lawsuit continues.
Teacher Education Grants
ACTION:
On Friday, April 4, the U.S. Supreme Court
granted the Trump administration’s request to stay a lower court order temporarily blocking the administration from proceeding with its termination of teacher preparation and education programs that serve California schools and training aspiring teachers.
BACKGROUND:
Beginning on February 7, 2025, the Department of Education terminated grants awarded to K-12 teacher preparation programs in California and nationwide.
These programs had been designed to create a pipeline for teachers serving rural and urban communities and teaching harder-to-fill positions like math and science and have been shown to increase teacher retention rates and ensure that educators remain in the profession beyond the crucial first five years. Congress established and allocated funding pursuant to the Teacher Quality Partnership and Supporting Effective Educator Development grant programs to train teachers, create a new teacher pipeline, and improve teacher quality. The U.S. Department of Education subsequently awarded and obligated funds to states’ public universities and associated nonprofits with grants under these programs to provide teacher training, placement, and retention, and new teacher pipeline development in the states.
POTENTIAL IMPACT:
These grant terminations would be felt immediately across California schools who rely on these programs to bring teachers into their classrooms. The terminations would also cause layoffs or reductions in hours for university staff, and result in reduced or eliminated support and funding for new aspiring teachers.
Impacted programs named in the lawsuit include those at Cal State LA, Chico State, and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
NEXT STEPS:
The CSU is deeply disappointed by the Supreme Court’s decision to allow the Trump administration to proceed with its termination of critical programs needed to support teacher-training programs throughout the country.
These programs are essential pipelines for preparing qualified educators who serve in some of California’s highest-need school districts.
The CSU simply does not have the resources to sustain these programs without funding from the U.S. Department of Education. The CSU remains committed to its mission of high-quality educational opportunities for all Californians and will continue to support the work of California’s Attorney General to restore these much-needed funds.
Week of March 24, 2025
International Travel
ACTION:
On Friday, March 28, the CSU Chancellor’s Office issued a document providing international travel advice to faculty, students, and staff for Spring and Summer 2025. The document advises all members of its community to proceed with extreme caution with international travel given that immigration policies, practices, travel bans, and health and safety risks are shifting daily and often cannot be fully assessed or projected in advance.
BACKGROUND:
Although there have been no changes to federal immigration law, enforcement activity has intensified. This trend could potentially impact individuals with a wide range of immigration statuses, including international students, visiting scholars, and other non-citizens affiliated with CSU campuses. Additionally, there could be increased scrutiny by federal enforcement officials based on a traveler’s country of origin or destination, visa classification, and prior travel or immigration history. In recent weeks, the Chancellor’s Office provided preliminary guidance to campus international offices urging caution among students considering international travel. Due to a marked increase in federal enforcement actions involving individuals entering or returning to the United States—particularly those traveling on visas—the CSU is strongly encouraging all faculty, staff, and students to carefully assess the necessity of international travel at this time. The decision to travel outside the United States is personal, but the CSU is advising all members of its community to proceed with extreme caution.
POTENTIAL IMPACT:
Potential impacts may include, but are not limited to:
- Policy changes by the federal government (such as executive orders or Department of Homeland Security memos) could affect visa eligibility or re-entry requirements mid-trip, leaving travelers vulnerable to unexpected barriers.
- Greater emphasis on stricter border control could lead to longer screening processes, device searches, or interviews, especially for travelers with certain nationalities or research interests.
- Individuals holding visas (H-1B, F-1, J-1, O-1, etc.) may face increased scrutiny or delays when re-entering the U.S., particularly if they traveled to or transited through countries under heightened scrutiny or diplomatic strain with the U.S. Travelers seeking visa renewals may also experience longer processing times, resulting in delays in re-entering the U.S.
NEXT STEPS:
If you have additional questions or concerns, contact your campus counsel, or Dr. Sarah Fried-Gintis, Senior Systemwide Director of Academic and Staff Human Resources (sfried-gintis@calstate.edu) or Dr. Jaishankar Raman (jraman@calstate.edu).
P3 Waivers
ACTION:
On Thursday, March 27, the U.S. Department of Education announced that it had revoked waivers to California and Oregon colleges and universities that provide services under the Performance Partnership Pilots for Disconnected Youth (P3).
BACKGROUND:
The P3 Program allows states and localities to integrate program funding across federal agencies to improve the systems serving disconnected youth. Under the Biden Administration, the Department approved a so-called P3 waiver allowing undocumented students to receive TRIO Program services. The TRIO Programs are federal student aid programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act designed to identify and provide additional academic and career services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. TRIO includes eight programs targeted to serve and assist low-income individuals, first-generation college students, and individuals with disabilities through the academic pipeline from middle school to postbaccalaureate programs. The pilot waiver only included Upward Bound, Educational Talent Search and TRIO SSS programs. California’s waiver began in November 2022 and was set to expire in September 2026.
POTENTIAL IMPACT:
The largest anticipated adverse impact will be with Upward Bound and Talent Search programs that provide academic developmental support to local area high school students.
NEXT STEPS:
The CSU received notice of the revocation from the Department of Education and will be analyzing what implications this will have on TRIO programs and the students and communities across the state that the CSU and these grants serve.
Week of March 17, 2025
Department of Education
ACTION:
On Thursday, March 20, President Trump signed an executive order to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education “to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law.”
BACKGROUND:
The Department of Education currently manages programs that are critical to CSU students, including the federal student loan program, Pell Grants, and teacher preparation; and it enforces anti-discrimination laws in education.
POTENTIAL IMPACT:
Much of what will happen with these programs remains to be seen. At the signing, President Trump said that Pell Grants and certain funding for low-income or disadvantaged children and children with disabilities would be “preserved in full and redistributed to various other agencies and departments.” He also has said that the Treasury Department could handle student loans, and that the Department of Health and Human Services could administer funds for students with disabilities; but it is unclear if, when, or how a transition of those services to other departments would happen. President Trump has already cut half the staff from the department, including dramatic cuts to federal education research and to its civil rights division.
NEXT STEPS:
CSU teams in California and in Washington D.C. are continuing to watch these developments closely and work with legislators and other supporters to ensure that higher education opportunities remain accessible to all students.