‘Far reaching consequences' — UMass Amherst sounds the alarm amid federal uncertainty

Yahoo

20-06-2025

As the federal government cuts back on research and curtails foreign student enrollment, the University of Massachusetts Amherst is sounding the alarm and preparing for the worst, according to a Wednesday email from school administrators.
All academic and administrative departments on campus have been asked to develop budget scenarios that include 3% and 5% reductions, according to the administrators.
The departments are also being instructed to only hire for positions deemed critical to university operations. Hires that cost more than $50,000 must be approved by the vice chancellor or provost, the administrators wrote.
UMass Amherst has already received $29 million less in federal research awards compared to this time last year, the university said.
Read more: UMass Amherst delays maintenance projects to pay for expected federal cuts
The institution receives about $180 million in annual federal research grants and contracts. With proposed cuts to a variety of federal agencies, the university could see a reduction in its annual funding by up to tens of millions of dollars, according to the university.
For instance, as part of the $180 million in funding, during fiscal year 2024, the institution received around $51 million in facilities and administration costs, also known as indirect costs. However, the U.S. Department of Defense recently issued a new 15% cap on indirect costs.
The university created the Research Continuity Emergency Matching Fund to support researchers who have been impacted by federal cuts. The institution has already committed more than $700,000 in salary and research continuity funding for nearly 50 graduate students, postdoctoral students and staff.
However, the university warned it is 'not sustainable long-term' and that their focus 'must shift from terminated grants to those not being renewed.'
UMass Amherst could also see a reduction in enrollment next academic year due to travel bans and visa terminations threatening foreign students and proposed reductions in Pell grants.
'These grants have helped nearly a quarter of our students access a world-class education while providing a direct investment by the United States in the future of its own economic, social and intellectual strength,' the institution said.
'Limiting our capacity to serve all students—regardless of means or identity — undercuts the mission of public higher education. Further, these threats compromise our ability to plan and operate effectively as a global institution in service to a community that has contributed immeasurably to our strength," the university said.
The announcement from UMass Amherst comes after a Monday court order from a federal judge that told the Trump administration to restore more than 360 National Institutes of Health grants nationwide — including 20 grants previously awarded to the University of Massachusetts system.
UMass Amherst is also part of a list of 60 higher education institutions under federal investigation for not protecting Jewish students from antisemitic discrimination and harassment.
Columbia University is also on the list and had $400 million pulled by the Trump administration, canceling grants and contracts because of what the government describes as the Ivy League school's failure to squelch antisemitism on campus.
UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester announced a hiring freeze, spending freeze and rescinded admissions for one of its biomedical science doctorate programs this week, citing ongoing uncertainty regarding federal funding.
There will also be targeted furloughs and layoffs at the medical school, according to an internal announcement.
The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is requiring approval for hiring, limiting overtime and scrutinizing non-personnel expenditures, according to an internal announcement on Wednesday.
Read more: As Trump cuts funding, these Harvard scholars consider leaving US — and academia
'To be clear, while these proposed cuts and actions pose a serious threat to all of UMass, they are not yet law. UMass, alongside partners across higher education, is actively working to push back on these proposals and advocate for continued support of our critical mission in service of our nation's scientific and educational enterprise,' the university said.
'That said, the proposals currently under discussion would have far-reaching consequences for universities nationwide. UMass would not be exempt, and no area of our campus would remain untouched by the effects of such cuts. Whether the cuts are as deep as described in the President's proposed budget, or are somewhat less severe, a more constrained budget is anticipated in the year ahead,' it said.
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Read the original article on MassLive.