A pause in federal funds could have a big impact on Oregon State University. OSU received $370 million in federal research grants last year.
Bryan M. Vance / OPB
Higher education leaders across Oregon are wrapping their heads around the potential impact of a grant funding pause on their institutions and on students.
“Portland Community College does receive a substantial amount of support through the federal government,” said a PCC spokesperson on Tuesday. “We are currently trying to determine the full gravity of the recent actions and executive orders issued by the administration and potential impacts on our students, programs and college.”
PCC is Oregon’s largest higher education institution.
While the freeze on federal funding is now in doubt, following a judge’s temporary order out of Washington, D.C., higher education leaders are looking closely at President Trump’s latest actions to see how their institutions might be affected. The freeze on funding was intended to stop the flow of federal dollars while agencies could review how those streams align with executive orders Trump signed governing diversity, equity and inclusion programs and the administration’s other policy targets.
“We will continue actively assessing any impact that federal actions have on Oregonians served by the postsecondary education and training system,” said a spokesperson with Oregon’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission. “The HECC continues in our mission and commitment to advance equitable access to and success in postsecondary education and training for all Oregonians.”
Federal funding for research projects is a particular worry for the state’s larger public universities, which receive millions of dollars in federal research funding each year.
“We’re looking closely at each executive order and agency request to understand the potential impacts on the groundbreaking research conducted by our faculty,” said a University of Oregon spokesperson in a statement.
In response to the memo, Portland State University is advising students and faculty involved in federal research to be more mindful with their grant spending.
“For students and employees working on federally funded research grants, we’re asking leaders to prioritize people and temporarily suspend their non-personnel spending and other grant related costs,” said PSU President Ann Cudd in a letter to the campus community.
Oregon State University is among the biggest recipients of federal research funding in the state. The university was awarded $370 million in federal grants last school year. A letter sent to OSU’s community from its Office of Research and Innovation on Tuesday said the university is reviewing the White House executive actions and providing guidance to campus stakeholders.
“Given Oregon State’s reputation and preeminent status as an institution dedicated to advancing research of utmost importance to the state, the nation and the world, even a temporary pause on the issuance of new awards and on the disbursement of federal funds for open awards has broad impacts across the university,” read the statement.
The U.S. Department of Education released guidance on Tuesday, saying the order would not apply to federal financial aid for students.
It’s still unclear if federally funded student success programs would be impacted. Many of those programs focus on students of color, and students from low-income backgrounds or those who are the first in their families to attend college. Officials anticipate pulling the plug on the programs could have a negative effect on Oregon’s future workforce.
“Oregon’s community colleges are on the frontline for workforce and economic development,” said Abby Lee, executive director of the Oregon Community College Association. “Our focus today and every day is to ensure Oregonians continue to have access to the affordable degrees, certificates, training, and employment opportunities Oregon’s colleges provide.”