Today, February 19 is the National Day of Action for Higher Ed. This is the start of a nationwide campaign to unite students and higher education workers to let Washington know that we will not tolerate federal funding freezes, limiting federal funds to colleges or universities based on ideology, or attacks on our colleagues or students.

We are facing a time of great uncertainty right now in higher education. The Trump administration has identified a number of proposals that could negatively affect our members and our students. Some examples include attacks on academic freedom, attempts to ban public-sector unions, plans to change or eliminate student loan repayment and forgiveness options, attempts to eliminate efforts supporting equity and inclusion, and the potential abolition of the US Department of Education.  

Any one of these potential changes could cause significant damage but perhaps one of the most financially concerning impacts could be changes to or elimination of federal Pell Grants or Student Loan programs. Based on the 2024-2025 Minnesota Guide 55% of students at our colleges rely on financial aid.  How many of the students currently receiving these funds would continue on in college if the funds went away?

Without mass resistance, these attacks will likely result in layoffs, program & school closures, and devastation to local communities that depend on the services of our colleges.

This is why we need to stand up together and contact our US Senators and Representatives to tell them to fight back against attempts to abolish the department of education and stop freezing funds for other critical programs.