The Trump administration has reluctantly agreed to reinstate funding for an academic counseling program that was helping more than 1,100 students be the first in their family to pursue college.
But New Hampshire’s TRIO programs remain in limbo. While the federal government told a court Monday it would reinstate the grants to comply with a court order, it has not told states when the money they need to rehire staff will arrive.
The administration abruptly cut support for the federal TRIO program in the fall to states that had included diversity initiatives in their grants. New Hampshire's middle and high school programs did because the first Trump administration required DEI programs when it approved the grant nearly five years ago.
According to the letter reinstating New Hampshire’s grants, the U.S. Department of Education stands by its decision to cut the state’s funding due to its diversity initiatives. It rejected the state’s offer to remove those diversity programs.
“Please note that this continuation redetermination is being issued under protest relating to the litigation affecting this matter,” the U.S. Department of Education wrote. “The Department maintains its original September 2025 determination that your grant is inconsistent with, and no longer effectuates, the best interest of the federal government.”
The funding cut eliminated counselors in nearly 30 New Hampshire middle and high schools who were working with low-income and first generation students to explore career and college options. The federal money was not paying for students’ tuition or college fees.
The national Council for Opportunity in Education challenged the cuts in a lawsuit. The judge gave the federal government until Friday to review the funding cuts and report back on the status of each grant.The press office at the White House did not respond to a request for comment.
Adam Howard, the former associate director of Educational Talent Search in New Hampshire, one of the TRIO programs cut, said he hopes to resume counseling his students. Howard has continued working with his seniors for free, helping them apply to college and make sense of competing financial aid offers.
“These supports for New Hampshire are essential,” Howard said. “This program is not a handout, it’s a hand up.”