This message was shared with the students, faculty and staff of the 10-campus University of Hawaiʻi system on December 19, 2025.
Aloha UH students, faculty, staff and administrators,
Today, we received deeply disappointing news from Washington, D.C. that could have a significant impact on federal funding for programs that support Native Hawaiian and other minority-serving institutions.
U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon announced that the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) intends to halt what it describes as “race-based conditions when allocating taxpayer funding,” citing a recent legal opinion from the Department’s Office of Legal Counsel concluding such programs violate the U.S. Constitution. Among the programs specifically identified as affected are several that are vital to the University of Hawaiʻi and to our state, including:
- Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions
- Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions
- Native Hawaiian Career and Technical Education Program
- Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program
Our Office of General Counsel is reviewing the full legal opinion and will coordinate closely with the State Attorney General’s office. We will maintain close communication with the State and our Congressional delegation to assess steps forward. We are also continuing the work of evaluating the full scope of the impact on our campuses and programs and implementing contingency plans for the loss of funding.
We recognize that this news creates uncertainty and anxiety for the students, faculty and staff whose work and educational pathways are supported by these funds. We are actively assessing how best to support the people and programs affected as we navigate this evolving legal landscape.
We stand united in caring for each other and the future of our university as we weather this challenging moment as a community. While we cannot control the forces against us, we can adjust our own course, remain grounded in our values and move forward together with purpose and resolve. We will navigate this challenge as one university system, united across our 10 campuses.
As we learn more, we will share updates at key points and provide additional information as soon as there is clarity on how these actions will be implemented.
With aloha,
Wendy F. Hensel
UH President
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