Republican Education Agenda Trumps Grace’s College Search

With application season in full swing for the class of 2026, the new republican education agenda has had a significant impact on where Grace Church School seniors are applying to college. Amid the ongoing takeover of the administration, 43% of Grace seniors (21-person sample size) (see graph) stated that their college application process had been influenced or disrupted by these reforms. 

Media provided by Fiona M. ‘26 and Wes T. ‘26

A range of responses came from the class of 2026. Some, like Emma DSA. ‘26.  took strong stances, “I am heavily considering studying in Europe instead of America and a large part of this decision comes from the political state of America at the moment.”

Media provided by Wes T. ‘26

Others, like Laszlo S-G ‘26, think that “it is a shame for a system meant to benefit certain marginalized groups that have been historically oppressed to be given a better chance to enter college, is being unfairly shut down. DEI isn’t so black and white. It is not a person taking the admission of another student because they are of a different race. In the US, people in a position of power have placed people at a disadvantage through social, economic, and political means, and the DEI system is a way to remedy this, in the most important step to becoming a functional member of society.”

Media provided by Wes T. ‘26

On the other hand, Monica D. ‘26 said her application process was “not particularly [affected] since I wasn’t planning on going to many of the publicly attacked universities anyway.”

America is dangerously on track to becoming an authoritarian government, and one of the primary reasons is the Trump administration’s attack on and control of our education system. Specifically for Colleges, many are facing consequences from budget cuts, pressure on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, and restrictions on international student enrollment.

Effective to indoctrinate, push agendas and narratives, and control viewpoints, education is a tool almost every single Authoritarian leader in the past has used to take power or stay in power. Historically, American universities have leaned towards more leftist principles. However, in light of recent events, they have faced pushback from the right – in the form of the second Republican Trump Administration. For example, last year in the 2024 election, the majority of people who voted Democrat were college graduates, and the majority of people who voted republican had no college degree (see figure 1).Graph provided by: National Exit Polls: Election 2024 Results

Highlighting the issues of access rooted in centuries of systemic racism, the highest forms of education in America are typically reserved for those who can afford it–white upper-class Americans. 

American universities historically “disproportionately favor white applicants… often relegating Black students to poorer facilities and educational opportunities… By 1995, of all living Ivy League alumni, 96 percent were white” (Columbia Undergraduate Law Review).

Subsequently, the wealthy white upper class of America continues to be educated, whilst the unwealthy minority lower classes are forced to remain systemically ostracized from higher education and more prone to misinformed and unchecked agendas.

However, there has recently been an influx of minority and underprivileged students admitted to elite colleges and universities. Now, underprivileged voices are gaining equal footing and a platform to share their ideas. The shift in control over education in America has prompted the Trump Administration to act, seeking to reclaim the foundations of the general ideology.

In 2024, Trump and JD Vance were elected as president and vice president of the U.S. JD Vance has always been vocal about higher education. In 2021, JD Vance said, “We are giving our children over to our enemies” by sending them to college (JD Vance – National Conservatism Conference, 2021). “Universities are the enemy,” said JD Vance, “If we want to do the things that we want to do for our country and for the people who live in it…we have to honestly and aggressively attack the universities in this country”(JD Vance – National Conservatism Conference, 2021). 

He outlined this plan in a podcast, where he stated that he was a proponent of “what Viktor Orban has done in Hungary.” For context, Orbán, the prime minister of Hungary (1998-2002, 2010-2025), systematically seized control of Hungarian universities through a series of policy changes that would abolish the institutions’ autonomy, use financial tactics, and remove institutions that oppose his ideology. (J.D. Vance – JML #070). 

In his plan, Orban said, “We should seize the institutions of the left and turn them against the left. We need, like, a De-Ba’athification program, we need, like, a de-wokeification program … Basically my strategy is: deinstitutionalize the left, reinstitutionalize the right. It is very hard. It will require men of incredible — men and women of incredible — courage, but I don’t see another way out.” 

Now, Vance is doing precisely what he said he would and is using his mission to “combat antisemitism” as a cover. After student protests at universities for the Israel-Palestine conflict, the Trump administration has cut university budgets for research and financial aid, which improves DEI. 

By withholding funds from universities, the Trump Administration has already been able to sway some institutions. After the Trump administration “moved to cut off $400 million in funding to Columbia University”, the institution promised to alter its protest policies, security practices, and Middle Eastern studies department to fit the administration’s requirements. 

“Columbia—it’s quickly becoming a strong example of bending the knee to an authoritarian agenda,” said Micah W. ‘26, a senior who has decided to withdraw his application to Columbia University. 

At the University of Virginia, the entire office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion was dissolved after pressure from Trump’s executive order to “end DEI efforts within the public sector” (Cavalier Daily). 

“I think that Emory has definitely felt the effects,” said Mason Z. ‘25, a former Grace Senior who is now a freshman at Emory University. Mason discussed how Emory was compelled to comply with the Trump Administration’s demands, resulting in the closure of Emory’s DEI programs a couple of months ago.

“However, I do believe in our resilience to determine our own path as a university that doesn’t submit to the will of an oppressive federal government in general,” he said. “Even though our DEI programs are being shut down, we are still a university of people who treat others with respect and kindness no matter who they are.” Mason noted that Emory was taking “a big step in the right direction” with its new policy that promised free tuition for students from households earning less than $200,000.

As Grace Church School seniors navigate one of the most consequential moments of their academic lives, the college application process has become inseparable from broader political uncertainty. For many in the Class of 2026, applying to college is no longer just about academic fit or campus culture, but about whether institutions will remain spaces for open inquiry, inclusion, and dissent. The choices students are making—where to apply, where not to apply, and even whether to study in the United States at all—reflect a growing anxiety about the future of higher education under increasing federal control.

While the Trump Administration frames its actions as efforts to combat antisemitism or restore ideological balance, the consequences extend far beyond rhetoric. Budget cuts, threats to institutional autonomy, and the dismantling of DEI programs have tangible effects on students’ access to education and on whose voices are heard within academic spaces. Historically marginalized students, who only recently began gaining greater access to elite institutions, are once again facing uncertainty about whether higher education will remain a pathway to opportunity or revert to a gatekeeping mechanism for the privileged few.

At the same time, students and universities alike are grappling with how to respond. Some institutions have complied under financial pressure; others, like Emory, are attempting to balance compliance with commitments to equity through alternative policies. Likewise, students are not responding uniformly—some are withdrawing applications in protest, others are recalibrating expectations, and many are simply trying to stay focused amid shifting rules and unclear futures.

Ultimately, the impact of the current education agenda is not abstract. It is being felt in application spreadsheets, financial aid projections, and difficult conversations among students deciding where they feel safe, supported, and intellectually free. For the Grace Church School Class of 2026, college is no longer just a next step—it is a political decision, one shaped by questions about democracy, access, and the role education should play in shaping the future of the country.

Wes T., one of the authors, is a Senior Columnist for The Grace Gazette. Fiona M., another author, is the Managing Editor. Cassie B. is the Editor-in-Chief.