Oregon universities miss out as Trump administration cancels grants for minority

With some fanfare this spring, Western Oregon University became the state’s first public university designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution.

The distinction, which requires Hispanic or Latino student enrollment to hit at least 25%, typically allows such institutions to qualify for federal grants to better serve their students.

But Western Oregon University won’t get that aid. The U.S. Department of Education announced last week that it was canceling 2025 grants to designated minority-serving institutions, arguing that the grants “discriminate” by benefiting colleges and universities that have met a particular quota of minority student enrollment.

The federal government will stop funding about $350 million worth of grants for institutions that serve large populations of Alaska