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On the heels of President Donald Trump’s executive order last week to dismantle the Department of Education, San Mateo County Community College District officials are cautiously optimistic that the move could have little impact on its funding, according to a Tuesday, March 25, district press release.
The district, which operates Cañada College in Redwood City, College of San Mateo in San Mateo and Skyline College in San Bruno and serves over 30,000 students annually, anticipated receiving about $5.9 million during the 2024-25 fiscal year from federal funds. The $5.9 million represents only 8.25% of the revenue budget, and these funds are for restricted uses such as work-study programs and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics scholarships.
While any potential funding loss could present some challenges, a reduction of federal funding would not hinder the district’s ability to operate, according to a district statement.
“While this executive order raises questions about the future of federal support for higher education, we must remain steadfast in advocating for all students,” said Chancellor Melissa Moreno in a prepared statement. “As we understand it, properly dismantling the Department of Education, and its funding for student loans for example, would require a 60-vote majority in the U.S. Senate, and we are not there yet.”
The district expected its students to receive about $15 million in federal financial aid during the 2024-25 fiscal year.
The district also decried the decision to eliminate the Department of Education, stating:
“Returning authority to the states has the effect of dismantling a centralized education system which will likely allow states to create their own academic framework and funding priorities. Our present system of American higher education, built on academic rigor and institutional autonomy, will be reshaped by state-level policy and politics, potentially limiting research, faculty independence, and student opportunities, and weakening our nation’s global standing in education.”
The press release came after this news organization asked the district about the potential impacts of eliminating the Department of Education on its budget.
President Trump has already cut funding to the National Science Foundation. Some $1 million went to Skyline College through the foundation in 2024-25, according to the approved 2024-25 budget.
The federal government also contributed $105,000 in 2024-25 to fund child development programs within the district.
SMCCCD officials said they will regularly update the community as more information is available, and they will work with local elected officials, federal partners, and groups like the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office to stay abreast of ongoing changes at the federal level.
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