What a potential freeze on federal funding could mean for Michigan college students
(CBS DETROIT) - In a new executive order, the Trump administration is looking to pause all federal loans and grants as officials say they want to begin reviewing the country's spending.
On Tuesday, Judge Loren L. AliKhan for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued a stay on the order until at least 5 p.m. Monday.
One area facing potential impacts is higher education.
For Anna Lariviere, a senior at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, the news of the Trump administration's plans to pause federal funding was tough to understand.
"Students really can't fathom why either; it's confusing about how it's going to impact us. But then, I also know a lot of us are confused about the reasoning behind the pause," said Lariviere.
On Tuesday, the White House announced a new executive order that would put a freeze on spending, with officials saying the decision was to ensure that all funding complies with President Trump's executive orders.
Those with the Mackinac Center for Public Policy – a Michigan-based conservative-leaning economic think tank – say the move addresses a key concern.
"We think the government is way too involved in too many areas. So, it's good that the executive branch is trying to look at the role of what is the federal government funding and is the funding going to areas that are important and significant to people?" said Jarrett Skorup, Vice President for Marketing and Communications, Mackinac Center for Public Policy.
Both private and public colleges and universities, including many in Michigan, rely on grants to provide resources and opportunities to their faculty and students.
Political science professor Mitchel Sollenberger says that loss could be significant.
"It could be a systemic hit on higher education, and I would imagine most higher education leaders are scrambling right now to figure out what it means," said Sollenberger.
On top of her studies, Lariviere is also the president of UM-Dearborn's First Generation Student Organization, which works to connect and uplift students who are navigating college on their own.
"It's not necessarily for the fact of, 'Oh, they aren't smart enough, or college is like too hard for them;' it's mainly because they don't have the same support," said Lariviere.
As she tries to support her fellow first-generation students through the unknown effects of this pause, Lariviere wants those in power to understand who they may be impacting.
"If you can't get your education and there's no diverse voices in all the education and all the fields after you have your education – we're back where we started, and that's just not progress," said Lariviere.