A federal judge has temporarily blocked a push from President Donald Trump to pause federal funding while his administration conducts an across-the-board ideological review to uproot progressive initiatives.
If I still had my federal academic grant, my University would get paid a lump sum up front at the beginning of February covering their disbursement of my paycheck for the next four months. Most federal grants in my field operate on this lump sum model, and most people earning grant money have that money pass through their institution before it gets to them.
These grants pay for researchers, TAs, student loans, and so many of the little bits and pieces that go into making a university run under the hood.
Extrapolation:
This one week stay, in this particular critical week, will determine whether some universities relying on grants paid out on the February cycle can afford their spring semester this year. If it’s honored, then there are several months to prepare. If not… well this is probably the big lump-sum bill that Trump probably is trying to avoid paying. His MAGA cronies probably think that shutting down the university system is funny.
If you know anyone at university in the US, make sure they have a backup plan if this semester blows up.
Don’t we only have a week if the Administration actually obeys the temporary stay?
If I still had my federal academic grant, my University would get paid a lump sum up front at the beginning of February covering their disbursement of my paycheck for the next four months. Most federal grants in my field operate on this lump sum model, and most people earning grant money have that money pass through their institution before it gets to them.
These grants pay for researchers, TAs, student loans, and so many of the little bits and pieces that go into making a university run under the hood.
Extrapolation:
This one week stay, in this particular critical week, will determine whether some universities relying on grants paid out on the February cycle can afford their spring semester this year. If it’s honored, then there are several months to prepare. If not… well this is probably the big lump-sum bill that Trump probably is trying to avoid paying. His MAGA cronies probably think that shutting down the university system is funny.
If you know anyone at university in the US, make sure they have a backup plan if this semester blows up.