The United States Department of Education under the Trump administration has halted approximately $1 billion in grants intended for student Mental Health services, citing concerns over the programs' focus on diversity initiatives. The funding, authorized by Congress in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022, was a bipartisan effort to address gun violence and enhance mental health support in schools following the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. [(Source)](https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/30/education-department-cuts-about-1-billion-in-federal-school-mental-health-grants-00319531)
The department notified grant recipients this week that the funds were being discontinued and that they would need to reapply. The reason given was potential violations of federal civil rights law under the previous administration's awarding of the grants. [(Source)](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/01/us/politics/trump-mental-health-grants.html)
Madi Biedermann, deputy assistant secretary for communications at the Education Department, stated that funding recipients used the money for "race-based actions like recruiting quotas in ways that have nothing to do with mental health and could hurt the very students the grants are supposed to help." She added that the administration seeks to ensure taxpayer dollars support "evidence-based practices that are truly focused on improving students' mental health." [(Source)](https://www.npr.org/2025/05/01/nx-s1-5382582/trump-school-mental-health)
Recipients reportedly did not receive specific details about which civil rights laws were violated or any evidence of non-compliance, according to reports.
The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act was passed with support from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers following the Uvalde tragedy, where 19 students and two teachers were killed. The legislation aimed to invest in school safety and Mental Health resources. [(Source)](https://www.npr.org/sections/education/)
Some Republicans who supported the measure highlighted the importance of addressing student mental health to prevent violence. Senators John Cornyn, Susan Collins, and Thom Tillis wrote in a 2024 opinion piece that they crafted the law to equip school staff to recognize student mental health crises and connect them with care. [(Source)](https://www.newsweek.com/bipartisan-safer-communities-act-cause-optimism-opinion-1990754)
Districts across the country used the grants to hire counselors, social workers, and other professionals. In Corbett, Oregon, Superintendent Derek Fialkiewicz said the funding allowed his district to significantly increase its school mental health staff. He noted plans to end funding early would force layoffs. [(Source)](https://www.npr.org/sections/national/)
The Trump administration has applied a new interpretation of federal civil rights law to several programs, including directing K-12 schools to cease certain DEI initiatives. [(Source)](https://www.npr.org/2025/04/26/nx-s1-5375904/trump-dei-schools-education-courts)
The department cited excerpts from grant applications where grantees mentioned training staff to recognize systemic injustices and antiracism, and prioritize recruiting providers from diverse backgrounds, as conflicting with the administration's priorities of merit and fairness.
"We owe it to American families to ensure that tax-payer dollars are supporting evidence-based practices that are truly focused on improving students' mental health," Biedermann stated.
