The U.S. Department of Education has taken action to revoke waivers granted to colleges and universities in California and Oregon. These institutions were utilizing federal funding to provide services to undocumented immigrants under the Performance Partnership Pilots for Disconnected Youth (P3) initiative. The P3 program is intended to allow localities to integrate funding across federal agencies to enhance services for disconnected youth, rather than to offer entitlements to undocumented immigrants.
Acting Under Secretary James Bergeron stated, “American taxpayer dollars will no longer be used to subsidize illegal immigrants through Department of Education programs.” He emphasized that the TRIO Program, which offers support and guidance to disadvantaged Americans on their educational journey, should not be repurposed for what he termed an "American-last agenda."
Affected institutions received notifications from the U.S. Department of Education through the California Higher Education Collaborative and the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, the P3 initiative was established by the Consolidated Appropriation Act of 2014. This act allows states to conduct pilot projects using funds from various federal programs to improve outcomes for American youth. Under the Biden Administration, a P3 waiver had been approved, enabling TRIO Program services to be extended to undocumented immigrants. The TRIO Programs, outlined under Title IV of the Higher Education Act, target low-income individuals, first-generation college students, and people with disabilities.
California's waiver, which started in November 2022, was originally scheduled to expire in September 2026. Meanwhile, Oregon's waiver commenced in October 2023 and was to end in September 2027.
