21 States, D.C. Ask Court to Reverse TRIO Grant Rejections

"The Council for Opportunity in Education, which advocates for TRIO programs such as Upward Bound, said about 100 grants were rejected or canceled last month after the Education Department delayed funding for thousands of grants that were slated to begin Sept. 1. Another 23 programs lost funding earlier in the year. Those terminations deprived more than 43,600 students of services such as tutoring and financial aid help."

"(Trump's fiscal year 2026 budget request would end TRIO altogether, and all but a handful of staff in the TRIO grants office were fired early in the ongoing government shutdown.) On Sept. 30, the Council filed two lawsuits against the department and Education Secretary Linda McMahon in the U.S. District Court for D.C., alleging that the department canceled grants for complying with the General Education Provisions Act Equity Directive-a requirement at the time of the applications."

Democratic attorneys general from 21 states and Washington, D.C., filed briefs asking a court to reverse the administration's rejection of TRIO grant awards. About 100 grants were rejected after the Education Department delayed funding for grants slated to begin Sept. 1; another 23 programs lost funding earlier. Those terminations deprived over 43,600 students of tutoring and financial aid assistance. The fiscal 2026 budget request would end TRIO, and most TRIO grants office staff were fired during the government shutdown. The Council filed lawsuits alleging cancellations occurred despite compliance with application requirements and seeks injunctions vacating denials and ordering reconsideration; attorneys general filed amicus briefs supporting reconsideration.

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