University System of Maryland Chancellor Jay Perman told state legislators Monday that the Trump administration’s cuts to higher education have had a “devastating impact” on our state universities.
His comments reflect a crisis that threatens Maryland’s educational pipeline and economic future.
As reported by The Baltimore Sun, Maryland’s university system has lost approximately $120 million of its federal research funding. The cuts hit across our campuses: University of Maryland, Baltimore, lost 37 grants worth $48 million, College Park lost 60 grants worth $30 million, Baltimore County lost 30 grants worth $22 million, and Towson and Eastern Shore face tens of millions more in losses.
Each of these cuts affects critical research into medical treatments, scientific breakthroughs and innovations that save Marylanders’ lives. And they threaten Maryland’s research pipeline that makes our state a leader in scientific breakthroughs.
I share Chancellor Perman’s concern. That’s why our office has filed multiple lawsuits defending our state universities and the communities they serve:
We sued over the administration’s termination of funding that our universities rely on to train the next generation of K-12 teachers.
We stopped unfair limits on research operating costs that would have eliminated tens of millions of dollars from our research institutions.
We blocked directives by the National Institutes of Health that led to cuts of tens of millions of dollars in grant funding for research at Maryland universities.
Through our lawsuit defending AmeriCorps, we preserved millions that Maryland universities rely on to serve some of the most vulnerable people in our state.
And we filed a lawsuit over the administration’s termination of K-12 mental health funding, jeopardizing nearly $2.5 million in funding for the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s School-based Mental Health Fellowship.
This isn’t partisan litigation. Our office is making sure the Trump administration follows the law when making decisions that affect millions of Marylanders.
Chancellor Perman reportedly emphasized that “it’s not just dollars on the line” but “a loss for new cures, new treatments in areas critical to human health.” He’s right. When federal agencies terminate grants through form letters citing vague concerns about diversity programs, they undermine scientific progress and violate the law. More importantly, they threaten people’s health.
I stand with Chancellor Perman and the University System of Maryland. We won’t let unlawful funding cuts harm Maryland’s students, researchers and families.
Maryland’s universities deserve federal partners committed to advancing research and education, not arbitrarily cutting their funding.