Uncertainty Causes Chaos as Trump Threatens Funding Pause for Schools

The Trump administration sought to pause federal dollars to some grantees as it tries to uproot policies like diversity, equity and inclusion. Schools and universities worried important programs could be halted.

The Trump administration directive seeking to pause federal financial assistance seeded widespread chaos and concern across the educational landscape on Tuesday, from early childhood programs to university research efforts.

At least one university leader urged professors to pause spending on research projects. The cash flow for Head Start, the early childhood education program that serves 800,000 children, was cut off in some places before the federal government clarified that the program was not included in the directive.

And there was widespread uncertainty over which other programs might face scrutiny or be dismantled.

The directive would pause funding at least until mid-February while the government investigates whether programs align with President Trump’s policy priorities, including ending “D.E.I., woke gender ideology and the Green New Deal.” By Tuesday afternoon, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., had blocked it in response to a lawsuit.

But the day unfolded in a kind of whiplash, as educators and students frantic about federal programs scrambled to understand how the directive might affect them. The Trump administration clarified that some programs, like Pell grants and funding for low-income schools and disabled children, would be exempt and sought to push back on early fears of funding being cut for children.