Across the landscape of American higher education, a quiet erosion is underway—one that threatens to reverse decades of progress toward inclusivity. Programs once designed to welcome, support, and empower students of color are now being stripped away, one initiative at a time. From mentorship networks and scholarship funds to cultural orientation events and diversity offices, the infrastructure that helped many students of color feel seen on predominantly white campuses is steadily being dismantled.
This rollback of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts is not occurring in isolation. Fueled by a growing wave of political pressure—particularly from Republican-led states and an assertive federal stance under the Trump administration—colleges and universities are being forced to make difficult choices. The threat is clear: comply with new federal directives targeting DEI practices or risk losing critical funding. But, for students who have long relied on these initiatives to build community, find support, and gain a foothold in unfamiliar academic spaces, the consequences are deeply personal.
What was once a promise of opportunity is now being hollowed out. And as the scaffolding of inclusion is torn down, students of colour are left wondering: Without these support systems, how do we belong?
A silent reversal
Once seen as beacons of opportunity, DEI programs provided essential scaffolding for first-generation, low-income, and minority students entering predominantly white institutions. Now, the US Department of Education’s pressure—backed by President Donald Trump’s administration—is prompting universities to dismantle such support systems. From eliminating scholarships and cultural events to shuttering diversity offices altogether, the retreat is unmistakable.
At the University of Michigan, junior Breeana-Iris Rosario has watched her academic environment shift beneath her feet. “It feels like we’re going back,” she said as reported by The Associated Press, after learning that Michigan is closing its DEI office and cancelling inclusion-focused initiatives like the Alma move-in event for Latino students.
The fallout: More than just programs
These rollbacks reach far beyond symbolic gestures. Orientation events tailored for Latino, Arab, and Asian American students are vanishing. Financial aid initiatives like the LEAD Scholars Program—which targeted Black, Latino, and Native American students—are being discontinued.
Compliance or compromise?
The underlying force behind these decisions is a February directive from the Education Department requiring colleges to eliminate race-conscious practices in admissions, hiring, and student services. Non-compliance could jeopardize billions in federal funding.
Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland was among the first private institutions to comply, citing the order as the reason for closing its DEI office.
While the university pledges to replace the DEI office with an “Office for Campus Enrichment and Engagement,” students like junior Justen Pippens are unconvinced. “We no longer have our central support systems on campus,” he said as reported by Reuters. For Pippens, the DEI office was a second home—a sanctuary where students of color could access mentorship, mental health support, and a sense of shared experience.
Beyond Michigan: A national shift
The retreat is not isolated. At the University of Virginia, Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin heralded the end of DEI initiatives, framing it as a triumph of “merit-based opportunity.” Students like Tyler English, a senior and member of UVA’s Black Student Alliance, see it differently.
“For a portion of us, we now question whether our identities and voices are truly valued in this space,” English said as quoted by The Associated Press. He noted the dismantling of scholarships and graduate programs focused on minority students and the quiet renaming of student organizations to remove racial identifiers.
The legal grey zone
As colleges scramble to interpret the vague federal mandates, many are erring on the side of over-compliance. DEI opponents, emboldened by political momentum, are pressing for even deeper cuts. Conservative commentator Christopher Rufo has called for punitive measures, likening DEI programs to civil rights violations and calling for institutions to be investigated, defunded, or stripped of nonprofit status.
A generation at risk
According to US media reports, some LEAD Scholars were told their financial aid would not be affected—for now. But the loss of community, representation, and visibility is already being felt.
DEI rollbacks mark a pivotal moment in American higher education. Whether colleges retreat entirely or find innovative ways to preserve inclusion under new constraints, one thing is clear: Students of colour are watching, waiting—and feeling the weight of decisions made behind closed doors.
As diversity efforts unravel, institutions face a critical test. Not just of policy compliance, but of moral courage. Will they find new ways to uphold equity, or leave students navigating a campus that no longer recognizes their presence?
