The Trump Administration’s Attacks on Higher Education

Updated April 29, 2025

Author: Chenelle Hammonds, Senior Policy Associate

Since Donald Trump has returned to office, he has launched aggressive and illegal attacks targeting America’s higher education system, using executive orders, funding freezes, and retaliatory budget cuts. These actions have destabilized financial aid, undermined academic research, gutted civil rights enforcement, and chilled free expression on college campuses. Each new directive reflects an escalation in the administration’s effort to exert ideological control over what is taught, who can access education, and which institutions receive support.

This fact sheet provides an overview of key actions taken by the administration and the consequences to date.