The Trump Administration on Sept. 7 canceled Title 5 grants for minority-serving institutions, including Cuesta College. 

“Discrimination based upon race or ethnicity has no place in the United States,” U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in the announcement. “To further our commitment to ending discrimination in all forms across federally supported programs, the Department will no longer award Minority-Serving Institution grants that discriminate by restricting eligibility to institutions that meet government-mandated racial quotas.” 

In 2020, Cuesta was awarded $3 million through funds appropriated by the U.S. Congress. 

“$500,000 of this grant was used here at Cuesta to purchase used airplanes for the Aviation Maintenance program and funds from the program were also used to upgrade the campus wifi coverage, among other things that benefit the entire student body,” Cuesta Vice President of Instruction Jason Curtis said. 

Currently, there is approximately $1 million left unspent in the grant funding on hand.

“The impact this action will have in the State of California will be quite significant,” California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian said. “We are deeply troubled that this action could limit access to resources that support [students] educational advancement and economic mobility.”