SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Higher education spokespeople and Illinois House Democrats combined forces to urge President Donald Trump to keep the Department of Education and Diversity Equity and Inclusion programs.
Trump has said publicly one of his goals for his second term is shutting down the Department of Education, which Illinois universities rely on for funding. The President has also gone against DEI, saying in his state of the union speech that the U.S. is "no longer woke."
Students who are in school thanks to equity and diversity scholarships said that if the federal government cuts their funding, Illinois should try and cover the cost.
"We need the state to step up and fund universities so that all students have the resources and support they need to be successful," said Journey Short a junior at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
State Rep. Michael Crawford (D-Chicago) echoed a similar statement.
"Right now bolstering our state provided grants, prioritizing programs that meet a workforce need and doubling down on solutions we know work is a must," Crawford said.
Now the Democrats wait to see if Trump holds true to his promise of shutting down the Department of Education.
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