University System of Maryland (USM) officials on Monday warned a state legislative committee of “crippling” federal funding cuts that could lead to layoffs at Maryland’s public universities.
According to The Baltimore Banner, USM Chancellor Jay Perman said the state has cut the university system’s budget by $233 million in the last two years.
The University of Maryland’s funding was reduced by $59 million in June, according to The Diamondback, the official newspaper for the University of Maryland, College Park.
“We’ve already slashed non-personnel operating expenses to address earlier state cuts, meaning future cuts would harm our people,” Perman said Monday. “We don’t want to do it, and we know you don’t want it either, but pressure on our revenue is real, and it’s crippling.”
Perman said a reduction in financial aid, federal grants under the Trump administration, and international student funding has worsened the impacts of the state cuts.
This is not the first time that the USM has sounded the alarm about funding challenges.
Funding concerns were raised as far back as March in opposition to potential cuts to the 2026 proposed budget.
Maryland’s House of Delegates voted along party lines to change parts of Gov. Wes Moore’s plan for the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future education plan without many of the proposed spending cuts, according to The Baltimore Banner.
In May, the USM Board of Regents authorized furloughs and salary reductions amid funding shortfalls.
At the University of Maryland, Baltimore, salary reductions were already being implemented for about 1,000 employees in conjunction with layoffs due to both state and federal funding cuts.