In a recent move, the Trump administration announced the cancellation of $1 billion in school mental health grants, citing that these funds were aligned with the priorities of the previous administration. Schools that were beneficiaries of these grants were informed earlier this week that funding would not be renewed for the upcoming year. Previously, in 2022, a gun violence bill signed by Democratic President Joe Biden had allocated these funds to help schools hire psychologists, counselors, and other mental health professionals.
A notice from the Education Department outlined some reasons for the cuts, including claims that the programs violated the purpose of civil rights law, conflicted with the department’s policies on merit and fairness, and represented an inappropriate expenditure of federal money. Conservative strategist Christopher Rufo brought these changes to the public’s attention through a social media post, accusing the grant programs of promoting “left-wing racialism and discrimination.” He presented excerpts from grant documents that included goals to employ more nonwhite counselors and pursue diverse equity and inclusion initiatives. Rufo criticized the funds as a “slush fund” for activists operating under the guise of mental health.
The Education Department confirmed the budget cuts. In an update sent to Congress, the department noted that the Republican administration is planning alternative approaches to continue supporting mental health in schools. The notice detailed plans to “re-envision and re-compete its mental health program funds to more effectively support students’ behavioral health needs.”
Under President Donald Trump, the administration has already made cuts amounting to billions of dollars in federal grants deemed related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Further cuts have been threatened against schools and colleges over their diversity practices. The administration argues that policies differentiating individuals based on race amount to discrimination, and suggests DEI initiatives disproportionately discriminate against white and Asian American students.