GW Federal Update (April 9)

Key Takeaways

• The Trump Administration remains focused on addressing what it believes to be unlawful DEI activities, including most recently through the introduction of a new Executive Order, administrative agency actions by the GSA and USDA, and investigations into the admissions practices at three medical schools. The Administration is also aggressively expanding its requirements for institutions of higher education to provide detailed admissions data broken down by race and sex.  Legal challenges to the Administration’s actions continue.
• Interim Provost John Lach and Associate Vice Provost Jordan Shelby West emphasized in an April 2 message to the community that diversity, equity, and inclusion are “foundational principles” at GW, reaffirming the university’s “commitment to advancing these values across every dimension of the university consistent with the law.”
• The Trump Administration’s fiscal 2027 budget proposes sweeping cuts across education, research, arts, and science, while protecting Pell Grants but eliminating or reducing many programs that support low‑income students, minority‑serving institutions, and basic research.

Recent Federal Actions

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

• On March 26, President Trump issued an executive order entitled “Addressing DEI Discrimination by Federal Contractors.” The EO includes a new DEI certification requirement for government contracts and subcontracts, including that contractors will not engage in any ”racially discriminatory DEI activities.” The term “racially discriminatory DEI activities” is defined as “disparate treatment based on race or ethnicity in the recruitment, employment (e.g., hiring, promotions), contracting (e.g., vendor agreements), program participation, or allocation or deployment of an entity’s resources.” The term “program participation” is defined as “membership or participation in, or access or admission to:  training, mentoring, or leadership development programs; educational opportunities; clubs; associations; or similar opportunities that are sponsored or established by the contractor or subcontractor.”  While consistent with prior contractor requirements imposed by the Trump Administration, the new EO will: 1) further require that contractors agree, upon request, to furnish information to the government to demonstrate compliance and 2) impose duties on contractors to monitor and report on subcontractor compliance. The new EO is also expected to increase the risk of False Claims Act (“FCA”) liability and other penalties for noncompliance.

Department of Justice

• On March 25, the Department of Justice initiated investigations into the admissions practices at the medical schools at Stanford University, the Ohio State University and the University of California, San Diego, to focus on possible race discrimination. DOJ demanded that the schools provide seven years of data relating to applicants’ race, standardized test scores, relations to donors, zip codes and other educational information.  All three schools issued statements confirming that their admissions practices are in compliance with applicable law.

Department of Education 

• As reported in the August 21, 2025, edition of the GW Federal Update, President Trump directed the Department of Education to expand required reporting of higher education admissions data to include undergraduate and graduate applicant data by race and sex, including retroactive reporting for the past five years. On March 6, 17 state attorneys general filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Massachusetts challenging the directive.  On April 3, the court granted plaintiffs a preliminary injunction, holding that the directive, which required institutions to provide ED with the data within 120 days, was issued in a “rushed and chaotic” manner and was arbitrary and capricious. The preliminary injunction applies to public institutions of higher education within the 17 states who filed the lawsuit.
   
• In a press release issued on April 6, ED announced that it has rescinded prior resolution agreements entered between prior Administrations and with six universities and school districts, all relating to allegations that the schools discriminated against individuals based on gender identity. By rescinding the resolution agreements, ED stated that it “is removing the unnecessary and unlawful burdens that prior Administrations imposed on schools in its relentless pursuit of a radical transgender agenda.”

Presidential Budget Proposal

• The Trump Administration's fiscal 2027 budget proposes a reduction of at least $2.3 billion for ED while prioritizing the Pell Grant program. To address a projected $17 billion shortfall by 2027, the Administration seeks to allocate an additional $10.5 billion to Pell and maintain the maximum award at $7,395. This commitment to student aid comes alongside a proposal to eliminate dozens of other higher education programs, totaling $4.5 billion in cuts. In part, cuts would impact grant programs for minority serving institutions, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants and Federal Work Study, and TRIO and GEAR UP programs, which currently provide critical support for low-income and first-generation students, including the GW Upward Bound program and various institutional strengthening grants. Additionally, the Administration plans to permanently transfer $1.45 billion in career and technical education funding from ED to the Labor Department. Other budget highlights include:
  • A $5 billion cut to the National Institutes of Health seeking to eliminate the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, the Fogarty International Center, and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.
  • Reducing the National Science Foundation (NSF) budget by over 50 percent, cutting funding for basic research in AI and quantum science while prioritizing applied research in these areas at other agencies.
  • Deep cuts to the arts, culture and history, including closing the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
  • Establishing a $10 billion fund overseen by the National Park Service to renovate and beautify Washington, D.C.

Research and Grantmaking

• On March 23, twenty state attorneys general and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit in federal court in Massachusetts, challenging the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s funding conditions, issued on December 31, 2025, relating to DEI, gender ideology, and immigration. Those conditions require recipients of USDA grants to certify, among other things, compliance with “all federal antidiscrimination laws, regulations, and policies,” including specific executive orders, and prohibits the use of funds that “promote gender ideology,” “deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities” or permit “male competitive participation in women’s sports,” or “allow illegal aliens to obtain taxpayer-funded benefits.” The lawsuit alleges among other things that USDA violated the Spending Clause of the U.S. Constitution and the Administrative Procedure Act. USDA’s restrictions are similar to proposed changes issued by the General Services Administration (GSA) earlier this year, as reported in the February 26 edition of the GW Federal Update.
  
  Regarding the GSA’s proposed changes, the public comment period ended, and GSA received approximately 22,000 comments, including from the AAUP, ACE, and AAU.  The AAUP wrote that the GSA rule would require universities to “audit every activity and practice throughout their institution … require a surveillance-like campus culture at all higher learning institutions” and make them “align their practices with a specific ideology.” The AAU asserted that the proposed certification would require institutions to certify compliance with standards that are not yet settled law and that the proposal could chill lawful DEI programs, impose substantial administrative and legal burdens, and centralize enforcement risk in a way that may expose institutions to heightened liability. 

Congress

• The Education and Workforce Committee held a hearing on March 26 to examine foreign espionage on college campuses. Chairman Tim Walberg highlighted cases of conspiracy and smuggling at the University of Michigan and foreign nationals posing as students at Stanford to steal research. Representative Rick Allen pushed for mandatory security training for faculty while Representative Randy Fine explored how state laws in Florida are strengthening research integrity through dedicated task forces. Representative Michael Baumgartner advocated for the DETERRENT Act to increase reporting requirements for foreign funding. While University of Michigan Interim President Domenico Grasso committed to transparency, he declined to verbally support the specific legislation. House Democrats questioned the scale of the threat, but witness Elsa Johnson provided sobering testimony regarding being physically monitored on Stanford’s campus by agents of the Chinese Communist Party. Committee Republicans concluded the hearing by emphasizing the need for increased accountability to protect national security and student safety from foreign adversaries.

Athletics

• The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pension Committee held a hearing on March 26 to address the challenges of the current college sports system. While lawmakers from both parties agree that the combination of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rules and unrestricted transfers has created a problematic environment of free agency, they remain deeply divided on the solution. This disagreement has prevented any of the numerous bills introduced since 2020 from reaching a floor vote. The primary point of contention is whether student-athletes should be classified as employees with collective bargaining rights. Democrats argue that a collective bargaining agreement would allow athletes to negotiate movement and compensation restrictions similar to professional leagues. Republicans strongly oppose this model because of the potential financial burden on universities and the tax implications for athletes. During the hearing, Chairman Bill Cassidy expressed concerns that employment status could lead to the elimination of Olympic and women’s sports due to increased costs, leaving the path to bipartisan legislation at a standstill.
   
• On April 3, President Trump issued an Executive Order titled “Urgent National Action to Save College Sports,” and an accompanying Fact Sheet.  Among other things, the EO directs federal agencies to evaluate whether universities that violate key athletics rules, particularly around pay-for-play (including NIL arrangements), transfer policies, and eligibility limits, should remain eligible for federal funding, and encourages national governing bodies to adopt standardized rules such as a five-year participation window, structured transfer limits, and protections against improper financial inducements and agent misconduct. The EO emphasizes preserving the financial viability of non-revenue programs, especially women’s and Olympic sports, amid what it characterizes as a “chaotic” system driven by court rulings and inconsistent state laws that have created “financial pressures that threaten to drain resources from all sports except football and basketball,” and calls on Congress to enact comprehensive legislation to provide long-term stability.

Partial Government Shutdown

• The House of Representatives convened April 6 without taking action on the Senate-passed DHS funding bill. This continues the longest partial government shutdown in history at 51 days. Although a bipartisan deal was announced on April 1 to reopen most agencies like TSA and FEMA, the House remains stalled due to internal Republican divisions over immigration enforcement funding for ICE and Border Patrol. While President Trump ordered that DHS employees receive pay on April 3, future compensation remains uncertain if the lapse continues. Lawmakers are currently observing their scheduled spring recess and are only meeting for brief pro forma sessions. The House is not expected to return for substantive business or floor votes until April 13, meaning the government shutdown will likely persist until at least that date.

Other Higher Education Institutions

• University of Alabama: In the December 4, 2025, edition of the GW Federal Update, we reported that the University of Alabama suspended publication of two student-run magazines that were funded by the university, one focused on women and the other on Black students, concluding that the magazines were “unlawful proxies” for discrimination, in violation of guidelines issued in a July 29, 2025, memorandum from then-Attorney General Pam Bondi. On March 23, several university students filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Alabama, alleging that the university’s actions infringed on their right to free expression under the First Amendment.
   
• Penn: In prior editions of the GW Federal Update, we reported that the EEOC filed an action in U.S. District Court in Pennsylvania asking the court to issue an order enforcing the EEOC’s administrative subpoena seeking among other information the names and contact information of Jewish faculty and staff, student employees, and those employees who are members of on-campus Jewish groups, as part of the EEOC’s investigation of Penn regarding alleged religious, national origin, and race-based harassment of Penn employees. On March 31, the Court held that the EEOC’s request, “though ineptly worded, … had an understandable purpose — to obtain in a narrowly tailored way, as opposed to seeking information on all university employees, information on individuals in Penn’s Jewish community who could have experienced or witnessed antisemitism in the workplace,” giving Penn until May 1 to provide the information the EEOC requested.  However, Penn does not have to identify which specific organization the employees belong to. 

Resources

GW is committed to supporting our students, faculty and staff through federal changes. Curated resources are available for staying informed and safe, in addition to FAQs addressing the most common topics on students' minds, including interactions with external law enforcement and supporting international community members.

About this Newsletter

GW publishes this weekly Federal Update to inform students, faculty and staff about how developments in the federal government affect higher education generally and the University. This newsletter includes timely information, answers to questions from GW community members, and resources for support.