WASHINGTON – Arizona Senators Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ), along with Representatives Greg Stanton (AZ-04) and Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03) called on the Trump administration to reverse its decision to abruptly cancel grants to support low-income and first-generation college-bound students in Southern Arizona.
“The cancellation of TRIO Upward Bound grants at Pima Community College will deprive first- generation and low-income Arizonan youth of transformative opportunities for academic and professional growth. It will put a post-secondary education further out of reach, and it will adversely impact workforce readiness in Arizona,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon.
On May 29, Pima Community College (PCC) was notified that grants for Upward Bound programs at its Northwest and Downtown Campuses would be rescinded due to alleged misalignment with the current administration’s policy priorities. The termination notices arrived just one week before PCC was scheduled to receive its funds, despite no indication of performance issues or explanation from the Department.
The TRIO Upward Bound program helps first-generation and low-income students prepare for and succeed in higher education. Since 1989, Pima Community College’s Upward Bound programs have helped thousands of Arizona students access college with support in areas like financial literacy, college admissions, and academic readiness.
“Research has consistently shown that Upward Bound participants are more likely to enter and complete college than their peers from similar economic backgrounds,” the lawmakers continued. “Compared to students in the lowest income quartile, Upward
Bound participants are more than twice as likely to earn a bachelor’s degree by age 24.”
“While we are primarily concerned by the premature termination of PCC’s Upward Bound grants, we are worried that this decision will make broader efforts to undermine TRIO programs across our state and nation,” the lawmakers continued.
The lawmakers concluded by urging the Department to consider PCC’s appeal request and protect TRIO programs at large.
“As PCC has now submitted an appeal for its terminated Upward Bound grants, we strongly urge you to give it your full and fair consideration,” the lawmakers concluded. “Moreover, we ask that you preserve federal support for TRIO programs at large, including by ensuring the timely disbursement of other TRIO grant funding awarded to PCC and its peer institutions elsewhere in Arizona.”
Read the full letter HERE.
7/28/25