The U.S. Department of Education announced in mid-September a plan to discontinue $350 million in discretionary funding for Minority-Serving Institutions – including Fort Lewis College.
Fort Lewis expects to lose $2.27 million that would have funded programs to help students transition into college life and stay on track for graduation.
“For many of these students, FLC provides a crucial path to an affordable four-year college degree while remaining close to their families and communities,” college spokesperson Nardy Bickel said in a statement sent to The Durango Herald on Tuesday. “We are disappointed about the decision to cut funding to this program, which will be felt deeply across our campus.”
Minority-Serving Institutions are defined as those serving a high percentage of students of color, including Hispanic and Native American students.
The Trump administration intends to redirect the funding to Historically Black Colleges and Universities and tribal colleges. HBCUs and tribal colleges are defined primarily by historical mission, while Minority-Serving Institutions are defined by minority and low-income student enrollment percentages.
Fort Lewis College, where more than 50% of students identify as students of color, was designated as a Minority-Serving Institution in 2008. The most recent data collected by the college show that 37% of the total student population and 40% of degree-seeking undergraduates are on Native American tuition waivers, Bickel said.
Forty-three percent of graduates are first-generation students, and Fort Lewis College awards more bachelor's degrees to Native American and Alaska Native students each year than any other four-year school, according to the college’s website.
As of 2024, Hispanic students made up 15% of the college’s student body.
State Rep. Katie Stewart, D-Durango, released a statement Monday urging the U.S. Department of Education to reconsider the funding reallocation.
“It’s unacceptable that the Department of Education is cutting millions of dollars in funding for Fort Lewis College,” Stewart said. “FLC prioritizes local students, sustains good-paying jobs in Southwest Colorado, and serves as a strong economic driver for our community.”
Colorado houses more than a dozen public MSIs, but no HBCUs or tribal colleges. Six of Colorado’s MSIs receive federal grant funding.
Colleges like FLC that enroll a large number of students from rural communities are expected to be hit especially hard by the loss of funds.
“FLC is committed to serving as an access point for both Native and non-Native students from rural and remote communities from the Four Corners and beyond,” Bickel said. “For many of these students, FLC provides a crucial path to an affordable four-year college degree, allowing them to remain close to their families and communities. Title III funding has been critical in making that pathway possible.”
Fort Lewis College programs that will be most impacted, according to Bickel, include the Summer Bridge and First Year Launch, which aids new students in transitioning successfully into college, and programs that allow students to recover credits and stay on track for graduation.
“The discontinuation of funds means that FLC will not be able to expend approximately $2.27 million originally planned for years three through five of the grant,” Bickel said.
Federal officials described the grant programs as being discriminatory, saying the grants unfairly provide funding to schools for meeting racial or ethnic quotas.
Bickel called the decision by the Trump administration “disappointing.”
“We will work to think creatively and strategically about how to continue these crucial supports to our FLC students,” Bickel said. “We remain committed to finding ways to sustain and adapt the programs that make the biggest difference for our students.”
epond@durangoherald.com
