How the Trump administration is changing college in California
Julia Barajas
March 17, 2025
Since January, the Trump administration has taken a series of actions that touch virtually every aspect of higher education in Southern California, including campus protests and financial aid.
The changes could have huge consequences for students, educators and researchers.
For instance, allowing Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to access students’ personal data might discourage U.S. citizens in mixed-status families from applying for financial aid. The stripping of $400 million in federal grants and contracts from Columbia University for alleged acts of antisemitism could be a precursor to what’s coming for Southern California campuses, several of which are under federal investigation.
This list doesn’t cover every federal action on higher ed, but LAist tried to include the items that reverberate most clearly for the state and locally.
