A lot has changed at the University of Alaska since President Trump’s inauguration. After executive orders, the University of Alaska Board of Regents directed its university leadership to remove mentions of diversity, equity and inclusion to protect its federal funding. But the Trump administration still froze or canceled millions of dollars in federal funding.
At the University of Alaska Southeast, Chancellor Aparna Palmer said she’s trying to balance upholding the university’s values with maintaining federal funding. Two of the campus’ grants have been affected, but it has been able to restore or find other sources of funding for them.
Palmer said she’s focused on federal financial aid, which hasn’t been touched yet.
“My priority is to make sure that we do what it takes to preserve that federal student aid for our students. That would be a huge, huge percentage of students who would be affected,” she said.
She said about 40 to 50% of UAS students receive federal student aid. Palmer said students should continue applying for aid.
On top of funding, UAS is keeping an eye on its international students’ immigration status. Elsewhere in the state, four University of Alaska Anchorage students have had their visas revoked.
But Palmer said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers haven’t been on any UAS campuses.
“So far, none of their visas are being revoked, but we monitor the situation daily,” Palmer said.
She said anyone who sees immigration enforcement officers on campus should report it immediately to the university so they can support and advocate for students.
