Congresswoman Torres Decries Trump Management’s Elimination of Student basic Needs Grants
Washington D.C. – November 21, 2025 – Congresswoman Norma Torres today sharply criticized the Trump Administration’s decision to eliminate funding for the Basic Needs Grants program in Fiscal Year 2025.The program, championed by Rep. Torres through her work on the House Appropriations Committee, provided crucial financial assistance to students struggling to afford essential needs like food, housing, and transportation.
“This funding cut is a devastating blow to students already facing immense financial pressure,” stated Congresswoman Torres. “These grants were a lifeline,helping students remain enrolled and focused on their education. Removing this support makes college less accessible and disproportionately harms those who need it most.”
The Department of Education cancelled the Basic Needs for Postsecondary Students Program by reallocating funds from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, a move Rep. Torres contends goes against Congressional intent. This decision leaves colleges without vital resources to combat the growing issue of student hunger and housing insecurity.
Rep. torres initially secured a pilot program for Basic Needs Grants in fiscal Year 2021. Since then, the program has distributed funds to institutions in 22 states and Puerto Rico – including Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, new Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin – with numerous additional states expressing interest.
“In a time of escalating tuition costs, rising rents, and a generally increasing cost of living, the Administration has chosen to abandon students struggling to make ends meet,” Torres continued. “I remain committed to fighting to reinstate this funding and to advancing the BASIC Act, ensuring students are not forced to choose between pursuing their education and meeting their basic survival needs.”
data reveals the urgency of the situation: approximately 23% of undergraduate students nationwide experience food insecurity – more than double the rate of the general U.S. population. this translates to over 4.3 million undergraduate and graduate students facing low or very low food security. Moreover, a meaningful 3 in 5 students report lacking adequate access to both food and safe housing.
Students from vulnerable populations – including Pell Grant recipients, parenting students, first-generation students, veterans, former foster youth, students with disabilities, and those attending community colleges and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) – are notably susceptible to basic needs insecurity.
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