Trump wants to cut off funding to universities over protests: what’s behind it
4 March 16:26
US President Donald Trump has announced that educational institutions that allow “illegal protests” will be deprived of federal funding. The American leader wrote about this on March 4 on his page on the Truth Social social network, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
“Any federal funding will be cut off for any college, school or university that allows illegal protests,” Trump wrote.
The US leader added that the agitators would be imprisoned and/or permanently expelled to the country from which they came. American students will be permanently expelled or, depending on the type and severity of the crime, arrested.
What preceded Donald Trump’s loud statement
It should be noted that this statement came after the administration inspected Columbia University for its actions against anti-Israeli protests against Jewish students. Federal officials are considering terminating $51 million worth of contracts and reviewing $5 billion worth of grants to ensure that the rights of Jewish students are protected.
According to U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, last month Donald Trump created a task force aimed at combating anti-Semitism in schools, which aims to review federal grants to Columbia.
How Donald Trump plans to reform education in the United States
Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump made it clear that protests against him would not be tolerated, despite the fact that he and his party insisted on the importance of respecting the principles of freedom of speech in the United States. The current American leader has even threatened to cut government funding for schools, colleges, and universities in the United States if they allow transgender athletes to compete on women’s sports teams, or if they insist on mandatory COVID-19 vaccination.
In January 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14190, titled “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Education.” The order prohibits K-12 schools from teaching material deemed un-American or subversive, including content that promotes “gender ideology” or critical race theory. It also calls for investigations of educational institutions suspected of promoting such ideologies, with possible criminal prosecution of faculty found in violation.
In addition, the administration has launched an “end-DEI” portal for public complaints about diversity programs in schools. There are warnings of a possible reduction in federal funding for universities that continue to implement diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Ukrainian students in the United States: will they be affected by Trump’s “reform”?
As of February 2025, there are about 1700 students from Ukraine studying at US universities and colleges. This figure has remained stable in recent years, despite the war and the economic and social difficulties associated with it. In the 2020-2021 academic year, there were 1739 Ukrainian students studying in the United States, and the number of Ukrainians studying has not changed significantly since then.
Many U.S. universities provide support to Ukrainian students by offering scholarships, reduced tuition, and psychological assistance. Some educational institutions have reduced tuition fees for Ukrainians or created special financial support funds. For example, Stanford University continues to provide grants to Ukrainian students who have faced financial difficulties due to the war.
Additionally, American universities support Ukrainian students at the administrative level by helping them extend their visas, change their status, or apply for temporary protection. For those who cannot return home because of the conflict, special programs are available. For example, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), introduced in 2022, allowed Ukrainian students to stay in the United States and continue their studies without the threat of deportation.
It is not yet known whether the changes that Donald Trump wants to introduce in university education will affect them.
