The White House announced today that a memo calling for a freeze on federal assistance had been rescinded but not the freeze itself.
Arizona Western College officials said late Tuesday they are monitoring the federal grant freeze announced by the Trump administration for possible impacts to students and college operations.
In a released statement, Czarina Gallegos, AWC's Vice President of Financial and Administrative Services, said the college's teams in the business office, financial aid, grants and grant-funded programs are "actively monitoring the situation with our partners, the Department of Education and our peer institutions such as Education Forward Arizona, AC4 and ACCT."
NPR reports the Office of Management and Budget has rescinded its call for a pause on federal assistance, according to the agency's memo shared by Democracy Forward, which led a legal challenge over the effort.
AWC officials said the order may impact cash flow. School officials were able to receive what was currently available to AWC students in federal financial aid funds ahead of a scheduled Tuesday deadline.
"While we do not have certainty on this, we don't think this will impact Title IV fund programs, which includes Pell grants awarded to our students." Gallegos wrote. "It is, however, possible there may be a pause with other federal grant projects and programs."
She added that the Department of Education will evaluate programs for now-prohibited Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (also known as DEI) programming or advocacy.
Gallego reiterated AWC's commitment to serve every student and the communities of Yuma and La Paz counties.
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Stay tuned to KAWC for the latest on the federal grant freeze directive as it is ongoing.
