US Department of Education ends waivers for illegal immigrant support in California and Oregon universities – The Times of India

California and Oregon lose P3 waivers over immigrant aid: The US Department of Education has revoked waivers that permitted colleges and universities in California and Oregon to use federal funding to provide services to illegal immigrants. The decision, announced on Thursday, targets institutions participating in the Performance Partnership Pilots for Disconnected Youth (P3) program, which had been redirected under previous approvals to extend benefits to undocumented individuals.
The P3 program, established under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014, was designed to allow states and localities to integrate funding from multiple federal agencies to improve outcomes for disconnected youth—typically low-income students, first-generation college attendees, and individuals with disabilities. However, during the Biden Administration, waivers were granted that allowed colleges to divert resources from the TRIO programs—federal student aid initiatives under the Higher Education Act—to support illegal immigrants.
Acting Under Secretary James Bergeron condemned the practice, stating, “American taxpayer dollars will no longer be used to subsidize illegal immigrants through Department of Education programs.” Bergeron emphasized that the TRIO programs were intended to assist disadvantaged Americans in navigating postsecondary education, not to “advance an American-last agenda.” The revocation aims to realign the programs with their original mission.
The affected institutions, coordinated through the California Higher Education Collaborative and the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission, received formal notices of the decision on March 27. California’s waiver, effective since November 2022, was set to run until September 2026, while Oregon’s, starting in October 2023, had an expiration date of September 2027. Both are now terminated immediately.
The TRIO programs encompass eight initiatives aimed at supporting students from middle school through postbaccalaureate education. Historically, they have provided academic and career services to those from underserved backgrounds. Critics of the waivers argued that extending these benefits to illegal immigrants undermined the programs’ focus and strained resources meant for US citizens.
The move has sparked debate, with supporters praising the return to prioritizing American students and detractors warning of potential setbacks for immigrant communities. The Department of Education has not indicated whether additional states or programs will face similar reviews, but the decision marks a significant shift in federal education policy as of March 2025.