U.S. Dept. of Education ends $34.9M grant to Purdue over diversity language

GEAR Up, 6th largest federal grant in Purdue history, aimed tutoring, SAT prep, other help to low-income students, including in Lafayette. Feds: It doesn’t line up with Trump administration priorities

Federal officials are pulling the plug on a seven-year, $34.9 million education grant, touted a year ago as the sixth largest in Purdue history and designed to offer extra academic help to students in nine Indiana school districts – including in Lafayette – as they transition from junior high to high school and to college or the workforce.

In a letter sent by the U.S. Department of Education, dated Sept. 12, federal officials cited diversity language in the initial proposal, saying the GEAR Up program administered by Purdue is “inconsistent with, and no longer effectuates, the best interest of the federal government and will not be continued.”