Purdue U. Shutters $34.9 Million DEI-Linked Program After Federal Funding is Cut

Purdue U. Shutters $34.9 Million DEI-Linked Program After Federal Funding is Cut

Isn’t it amazing how quickly so many schools comply when it comes down to the money? That’s what they really care about.

Campus Reform reports:

Purdue ends $34.9 million DEI-linked program after federal funding canceled

Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana will end a major Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiative after the Trump administration canceled its federal funding, citing conflicts with new restrictions.

The U.S. Department of Education terminated Purdue’s $34.9 million GEAR UP grant earlier this month, saying the university’s application included “inappropriate use of federal funds” through commitments to DEI training and “culturally responsive teaching.”

The program, which was previously expected to run through 2031, closed on Tuesday. Purdue did not appeal the decision and has not commented publicly.

The program is “inconsistent with, and no longer effectuates, the best interest of the Federal Government,” federal officials wrote in the Sept. 12 termination letter. Officials specifically cited the training for hiring managers to “recognize and mitigate unconscious biases throughout the recruitment process.”

The Education Department’s notice states that Purdue’s program “may conflict with the department’s policy of prioritizing merit, fairness and excellence in education,” according to Based in Lafayette.

This spring, Purdue announced it would immediately sunset its DEI programs to comply with Trump administration policies and Indiana regulations.

The university stated it would close its Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging and restructure other DEI-related programs. Provost Patrick Wolfe called the move “a necessary part” of Purdue’s future.

The Department of Education has been scaling back the use of DEI policies and practices since shortly after President Trump took office. On Feb. 14, the agency warned universities that they risk losing federal funding if they maintain DEI programs.

“Discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin is illegal and morally reprehensible,” the letter stated, adding that schools “toxically indoctrinated students with the false premise that the United States is built upon ‘systemic and structural racism.’”

The Education Department argued that DEI initiatives “smuggle racial stereotypes and explicit race-consciousness into everyday training, programming, and discipline.”

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