Shortly before news broke Wednesday morning that the White House had rescinded a memo freezing federal aid – which had sown confusion in higher education a day earlier – leaders of the California State University system discussed how they might adapt if anticipated cuts take effect.
CSU officials said campuses should look for opportunities in the midst of shifting federal funding priorities and are also pursuing support from businesses and philanthropies to bridge any interruption to federal dollars.
As CSU leaders concluded their discussion, CNN and other news organizations reported that the White House Office of Management and Budget had rescinded the memo freezing federal aid. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on X that other executive orders impacting federal funding remain in effect. One such order seeks to end diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the federal government as well as under federal grants and contracts.
Ganesh Raman, CSU’s assistant vice chancellor for research, said CSU must ensure “that this phase of panic doesn’t cause paralysis, where our faculties stop preparing proposals for future opportunities.” Raman added that there is uncertainty about which federal aid could be removed and, in particular, which grants could be deemed related to diversity, equity and inclusion.
California State University estimates that more than $511 million in research expenditures during the 2022-23 school year were funded by federal agencies, accounting for 63% of research expenditures that year. The funding included $161 million from the Department of Health and Human Services and $114 million from the Department of Education, with the remainder coming from the National Science Foundation, Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense and other federal agencies.
Roughly 83% of CSU bachelor’s degree recipients in the 2022-23 school year – more than 88,000 students – participated in a research, scholarly, creative or other experiential learning activity while in school, according to the university system. A recent CSU report highlights examples of the ways federal funding supports research and other projects on its 23 campuses, including projects that involve students.
At Cal Poly Humboldt, a series of grants and contracts totaling $23 million from the U.S. Department of Energy funds a project to improve the electrical energy system reaching rural tribes in Humboldt County. San José State University received about $10.7 million from the U.S. Department of Education for a program that works to improve low-income students’ readiness to attend college with academic support and other services. And California State University, Los Angeles received roughly $7.5 million, also from the federal department of education, to recruit teachers, place them in high-need schools and allow them to earn their teaching credentials.
—Amy DiPierro
