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Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
‘Betrayal': Donor yanks $1M from FIU over undocumented student tuition hike
Miami businessman and philanthropist Miguel 'Mike' Fernandez has suspended a $1 million donation to Florida International University in protest of Florida's decision to strip in-state tuition benefits from undocumented students — a policy that was until recently endorsed by FIU's new president, Jeanette Nuñez. In a June 4 letter to Shlomi Dinar, dean of FIU's Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs, Fernandez denounced the tuition hike as 'punitive' and called for the state to restore 'fairness and opportunity.' Fernandez' now-suspended $1 million pledge was meant to fund first-generation student scholarships through the school's Maurice A. Ferré Institute for Civic Leadership. 'I cannot remain silent while thousands of Florida's young residents are excluded from the opportunity to experience higher education,' Fernandez wrote. Fernandez, who describes himself as a lifelong Republican until the election of Donald Trump in 2016, did not mince words about Nuñez's reversal on the tuition equity law she once championed. As a state legislator in 2014, Nuñez, who is Cuban-American, helped pass the law that allowed undocumented students to pay in-state tuition if they had gone to high school in the state for at least three consecutive years and enrolled in college within two years of graduating from high school, arguing at the time, 'Let's not hold these children responsible for actions that their parents took.' But in January, shortly before stepping down as Gov. Ron DeSantis' lieutenant governor for the FIU job, Nuñez declared the law had 'run its course' and that 'Florida will not incentivize illegal immigration through this law or any other.' Fernandez, a healthcare industry magnate, said he thought Nuñez's about-face was 'at the lowest level of ethical behavior' 'If I had to pay that price to betray children, I would rather be bankrupt,' Fernandez said in an interview Monday. 'I find it immoral, and I find that a betrayal of the greatest level for someone to do this to her own community.' The elimination of in-state tuition eligibility for undocumented students was part of the Florida GOP's immigration package, signed by DeSantis in January. For students at FIU, tuition will jump from approximately $205 to $619 per credit hour, a 250% increase. Just this year, 6,500 students across Florida — the majority of which are likely undocumented — have benefited from the in-state tuition rule. FIU, the nation's largest Hispanic-serving institution, estimates about 500 students will be affected. Fernandez, who arrived undocumented in the U.S. from Mexico in 1964, lobbied hard for the legislation for years before it was passed in 2014, still has a copy of the bill in his Coral Gables office. 'Mike was instrumental in that legislation passing,' said Will Weatherford, who served as House Speaker in 2014. Fernandez was 'encouraging me and others to have an open heart to the concept that kids shouldn't be punished for decisions of their parents, and it resonated.' Nuñez, reached through an FIU spokesperson Monday, didn't immediately respond for comment. For Fernandez, the controversy extends beyond tuition. Earlier this year, FIU police voluntarily entered into an agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, authorizing campus police to train officers to help identify and detain individuals suspected of immigration violations. The partnership, backed by Nuñez, has sparked protests from students and faculty concerned about racial profiling and fear among immigrant communities. 'No one in this county should be putting our citizens to be kidnapped by people in masks, without ID, who surround you and, in some cases, abuse you,' Fernandez said. 'Our local law enforcement should not be sucked into that process of doing federal work.' FIU officials defend the agreement, emphasizing officer training and adherence to state law, while President Nuñez maintains the partnership 'upholds the rule of law.' The tuition rollback is slated to take effect on July 1 for the 2025-26 academic year. The Florida Education Association warns that universities could lose up to $15 million in revenue as undocumented students priced out of public schools may leave Florida altogether. Since Florida canceled in-state tuition for undocumented students, a scholarship program for undocumented students, decided it would no longer fund scholarships at eight Florida universities. And just last week, the Board of Governors of the state's university system voted to allow schools to increase out-of-state tuition by up to 10 percent. For Fernandez, the fight transcends dollars and cents. 'Decades ago, children of undocumented immigrants faced exorbitant tuition fees,' Fernandez wrote in his letter to FIU. 'After ten years of persistent efforts, we achieved a significant victory. It is troubling to see that progress undone.'
Los Angeles Times
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
South Coast Repertory gets an assist after losing NEA funding for ‘The Staircase'
South Coast Repertory found itself in a bind last month, when officials learned on opening day for the final production of the 2024-25 season, 'The Staircase,' it would be losing $20,000 in promised federal funding. But with a little help from a philanthropic organization started by a Newport Beach family, whose founder heard about the loss and stepped up to replace the lost grant money, the show and the season went off without a hitch. Although the National Endowment of the Arts had initially awarded the grant to SCR in November, the agency informed the Costa Mesa theater company in a May 2 email the funding had been withdrawn, due to the updating of grant-making priorities to projects that aligned with missions prioritized by the Trump administration. A list of fundable projects, the email explained, included those that elevate historically Black colleges and universities and Hispanic-serving institutions, celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence, foster AI competency, empower houses of worship to service communities, foster skilled trade jobs and support the military and veterans, among others. The loss in funding, far from the total cost of the project, helped support the work of several skilled technicians and was a 'meaningful amount of money,' SCR Managing Director Suzanne Appel told City News Service in May. So when officials learned a short time later that the OneRoot Foundation, which had never before worked with South Coast Repertory, had offered to fill the budgetary gap left by the NEA's withdrawal, they were a little stunned and deeply touched. 'It was incredibly generous and life-affirming support that says something about what they stand for,' SCR Artistic Director David Ivers said of the foundation's gift Tuesday. 'We cannot say thanks enough.' Founded in 2021 by the Pyle family of Newport Beach, the OneRoot Foundation supports a number of causes through private grantmaking and volunteerism. Trustee David A. Pyle, also founder and chief executive of American Career College, said the gift was made in honor of his father, actor Denver Pyle, who portrayed 'Uncle Jesse' Duke in the TV series 'The Dukes of Hazzard' and racked up more than 200 film and television credits throughout a 50-year career. Robert May, the executive director overseeing OneRoot Foundation's philanthropic efforts, said the organization was proud to support SCR, where he and his family have attended annual productions of 'A Christmas Carol' for more than 25 years. 'We believe in doing what is right, so seeing the NEA pull its funding the day of the opening with no warning was disappointing, to say the least,' May said in a June 11 news release. 'We wanted to make it right and assure that South Coast Repertory had the funding required to complete 'The Staircase.' We support the vision of SCR to engage and enrich our community with outstanding programs.' Just as OneRoot Foundation pledged its support, SCR filed an appeal to the National Endowment for the Arts to reinstate the withdrawn award. Officials maintain 'The Staircase' meets the administration's guidelines favoring projects that benefit skilled laborers and tribal communities. Written by native Hawaiian playwright Noa Gardner, 'The Staircase' told the story of a Hawaiian family and celebrated culture through ancestral myths, legends and music, exploring the relationship between Hawaii and the mainland U.S. Its cast and crew featured three native Hawaiian actors and music director and dramatist Mehanaoakala Hind. 'It's astonishing to me we're presenting the world premiere of a play that takes place in one of our 50 states, from a community that's been largely ignored as it relates to three-dimensional art on the stage,' Ivers said of the funding withdrawal decision. 'That's as un-American as you can get.' South Coast Repertory as of Tuesday had not yet learned whether a decision had been made on the theater company's appeal to the NEA.
USA Today
10-06-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
About 100 National Endowment for the Humanities employees laid off, union says
About 100 National Endowment for the Humanities employees laid off, union says About 2/3 of National Endowment for the Humanities employees were laid off Tuesday. The agency plans to issue half of the number of grants next year Show Caption Hide Caption Active-duty marines deployed for Los Angeles anti-ICE protests President Donald Trump is sending in active-duty Marines to assist law enforcement with immigration protests in Los Angeles, California. Approximately two-thirds of the staff at the National Endowment for the Humanities will lose their jobs when their "reduction in force" goes into effect June 10, according to their union, the American Federation of Government Employees Local 3403. "A major agency restructuring is underway without the appropriate planning needed to ensure the continuity of operations," the local said in a statement. "These drastic changes … represent an existential threat to those institutions and individuals who rely on support from NEH to research, preserve, and interpret our shared heritage. The agency's employees were not part of the lawsuit that currently has other reduction in force efforts on hold. The National Endowment for the Humanities did not respond to a request for comment. Less than 60 employees are expected to remain. The agency has a $207 million budget to fund humanities programs such as history, law, literature, philosophy, and linguistics. In early April, NEH terminated more than 1,000 existing grants, including one for the National History Day competition and grants for state humanities councils in all 50 states. The agency has already quietly posted that roughly half of its funding opportunities will not be offered in the next fiscal year or will no longer be offered at all. Among the grants that the agency will no longer offer next year are awards specifically for faculty at Hispanic-serving institutions, tribal institutions, training for K-12 and higher education teachers and studies on endangered languages and the experiences of war. The preserved grants include projects for the country's 250th anniversary, including a statue garden of famous Americans.
San Francisco Chronicle
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Exclusive: Newsom vows to fight for arts funding during star-studded BottleRock 2025
Gov. Gavin Newsom and first partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom joined a host of luminaries on the second day BottleRock Napa Valley, enjoying performances by artists including Benson Boone and 4 Non Blondes while mingling with high-profile figures such as Serena Williams, radio personality Gary 'Baba Booey' Dell'Abate and baseball legend Ken Griffey Jr. Backstage on Saturday, May 24, the California governor mingled with music industry heavyweights, including Live Nation Northern California President Jodi Goodman, BottleRock partner Dave Graham and Marsha Vlasic, longtime talent manager for Neil Young. Newsom commended Young for fearlessly criticizing President Donald Trump's administration and voicing support for Bruce Springsteen during the musician's recent clash with the president. 'Neil Young has shown incredible integrity,' Newsom said, praising his advocacy. In a brief interview with the Chronicle at the festival, Newsom underscored the critical need to champion the arts amid federal cuts to cultural institutions under the current administration. 'This is an incredibly important moment in U.S. history,' he said. 'It's about free expression and being accountable. We can't afford to be timid.' Earlier this month, Newsom announced an $11.95 billion state budget shortfall, attributed to tariffs, a decline in tourism and broader economic uncertainty. This deficit led to a proposal to cut $11.5 million in funding for small nonprofit arts organizations across California. The proposal follows a recent wave of terminations from the National Endowment for the Arts, which sent form letters to arts organizations across the country stating that their projects 'fall outside' Trump's priorities. The targeted priorities include commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, supporting the military, promoting skilled trade careers, and aiding historically Black colleges and universities along with Hispanic-serving institutions. Despite these challenges, Newsom struck a defiant tone. 'Make arts matter again,' he told the Chronicle on Saturday. 'Art, especially rock music, matters now more than ever.'
USA Today
24-04-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
HBCUs are celebrating Trump's recent order. What will it change?
HBCUs are celebrating Trump's recent order. What will it change? The largely symbolic order rehouses a longstanding, bipartisan presidential initiative on HBCUs with the president rather than within the U.S. Department of Education. Show Caption Hide Caption Mixed reactions to Trump's order to dismantle Education Department Residents in Columbia, Missouri, and New York City reacted to President Donald Trump's executive order aimed at dissolving the Education Department. WASHINGTON – Even as his administration targets diversity programs in higher education, President Donald Trump reaffirmed his commitment to supporting the nation's historically Black colleges and universities, or HBCUs. He signed a largely symbolic order on April 23 in the Oval Office that rehouses a longstanding, bipartisan presidential initiative on HBCUs at the White House, rather than at the U.S. Department of Education. It also maintains a presidential advisory board on HBCUs within the Education Department. The order was celebrated by many HBCUs, including Howard University, where former Vice President Kamala Harris studied and gave her concession speech after she lost her bid for the presidency last year. "For nearly two centuries, Howard and the collective of HBCUs have cultivated talent, unlocked opportunity, and contributed mightily to every sector of American life," the school said in a statement. "This executive order affirms the vital and visionary necessity of our work." Read more: Trump issues mandates on HBCUs, school discipline, foreign gifts, accreditation The directive, part of a flurry of education-related orders Trump signed April 23, is mostly a continuation of conventional federal policy, which generally supports HBCUs. And it reinforces the Trump administration's prioritization of historically Black colleges over other types of minority-serving institutions. Immediately after Trump took office, he rescinded similar measures meant to bolster tribal colleges and universities where at least a quarter of the undergraduates are Hispanic. The move frustrated college officials, who said it would require a herculean effort to revive federal supports on which they've come to rely. "We need to start from zero again," Antonio Flores, the head of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, told USA TODAY in January. Read more: Trump axed support for tribal and Hispanic-serving colleges. They're not happy about it. The measure is also a departure from the Trump administration's so-called war on diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI. In the last three months, the federal government has placed enormous pressure on colleges to dismantle supports for marginalized populations, including Black students, or risk losing their federal funding. Individually, the nation's roughly 100 HBCUs stand to lose major sums as the White House attempts to move forward with potentially devastating cuts to federal research funding sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and U.S. Department of Energy. Zachary Schermele is an education reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@ Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @
