Trump Education Dept Bans Federal Funds for Campus Political Activism

The Department of Education under President Donald Trump's administration has rescinded Biden-era guidance that allowed federal work-study funds to support political activism on college campuses. The updated guidance instructs institutions to focus Federal Work Study (FWS) funds on jobs that provide real-world work experience rather than political activities such as poll working, voter hotlines, and political rallies. Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent emphasized that taxpayer money will no longer fund political activism and that schools are not required to solicit voter registration from students known to be ineligible, such as foreign students. The move follows a directive from Trump's March executive order aimed at protecting election integrity and was influenced by a letter from 16 Republican attorneys general claiming the prior guidance violated federal law. Additionally, the Department clarified that while schools must make a 'good faith' effort to distribute voter registration forms, they should not provide them to students they know are ineligible to vote to prevent potential voter fraud. This policy shift aligns with Trump's broader push to eliminate methods like mail-in voting and controversial voting machines in U.S. elections.