On the heels of the Trump administration’s order that states and school districts must certify that they’re not using diversity, equity, and inclusion programs to keep receiving federal funds, a new study sheds light on what students of color face when DEI practices and policies are banned in schools.
While the political backlash against DEI has reached a fever pitch since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, efforts to dismantle such programs in schools have been underway in some states for years. Texas was one of the first states to enact a bill that prohibited public colleges and universities from engaging in DEI activities in 2023, following Florida, around the same time as the U.S. Supreme Court ended affirmative action in college admissions.
As the policies took effect, the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA), a Texas-based advocacy group focused on educational equity, began a two-year study on how the Lone Star State’s restrictions on DEI and the lack of affirmative action practices affected high school students. The preliminary results of that study were published in March.
The IDRA team held 11 roundtable discussions with 50 participants—mostly high school students, as well as some parents, educators, counselors, and the staff of community-based organizations—in the fall of 2024. Most of the participants identified as Latino.
The researchers learned that many parents were worried about scholarship opportunities and their children’s safety on campus. Additionally, students were concerned about finding a community and support systems at college.
The conversations suggested that policies against DEI are making it harder for students from underrepresented communities to access higher education, said Chloe Latham Sikes, the deputy director of policy at Intercultural Development Research Association.
“I think it also is a step backwards, to this message of somehow you don’t belong here,” she said.
The Texas Education Agency didn’t respond to a request for comment.
The number of students of color in higher education has steadily increased since 2010, according to the American Council on Education. In 2020, ACE data showed that more than 2 million students received a bachelor’s degree, and about 40 percent were students of color, which was a record share. Hispanic students have had the largest growth in college attainment over the last decade.
However, policies against DEI could slow progress. Since 2023, 19 bills that ban DEI efforts at the college level have become law, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education’s tracking. Now, with the Trump administration’s backing, more states could start a similar process.
In his first couple of weeks in office, Trump signed an executive order to get rid of critical race theory, calling it “radical indoctrination,” and in February, the U.S. Department of Education sent a Dear Colleague letter to both K-12 schools and colleges and universities, threatening loss of funding if they don’t terminate DEI programs and operations.
Trump’s latest effort against DEI included another letter sent to state education chiefs on April 3, initially giving them 10 days to sign a certification that they’re complying with the prohibition of race-based discrimination in federally funded programs. A follow-up letter extended the deadline to April 24.
So far, at least 16 states and Puerto Rico have said they intend to sign the certification, according to Education Week reporting. Texas is one of them.
Here’s how Texas’ DEI ban is affecting students of color
According to the IDRA study, students of color and LGBTQ+ students are worried about belonging in college. During the college application process, students are often encouraged to talk about how their background and identity might have influenced their academic journey and trajectory. But this may no longer be the case since the backlash against DEI and block on affirmative action, researchers said.
Additionally, parents and students of color are worried about safety on campus. When DEI programs and practices are banned, parents have questions about the support and services available for students who experience racial discrimination on campus, said Latham Sikes.
A parent asked her: “Will my child be safe against discrimination or something else, given the complete erasure and pushback against acknowledging these features of students’ identities and lived experiences?” she said.
Efforts against DEI could also affect college access for students of color, the study found. Generally, students choose to go to college based off a combination of factors, including family influence, what the university or college offers both academically and for student life, and affordability, said Latham Sikes.
“Students not feeling safe or feeling discouraged from higher education altogether—it’s a real concern for the college access pipeline, and making sure it’s available to students who we want to see obtaining higher education,” she said.
A DEI ban could also affect scholarship opportunities. Latham Sikes pointed to the cancellation of a scholarship for Black women athletes, which was one of 131 memorial scholarships put on hold due to Texas’ anti-DEI law.
College visits are key, but they could become harder to coordinate
For some students, a DEI ban may make it harder for them to visit college campuses in the first place, the researchers found.
While high school students visiting universities is common, it also requires a lot of coordination, from funding for transportation and food to university merchandise and programming for a campus tour. The university’s office of DEI often partners with outside organizations to make these opportunities possible for students who need them.
“A lot of programmatic costs, those have taken a hit,” Latham Sikes said, adding that some universities’ DEI offices have been dissolved or diminished.
Eric Fox, the assistant principal of Jenks High School near Tulsa, Okla., spearheads the school’s AVID program for college and career readiness, an initiative that is used nationwide. Through the program, Fox has coordinated college visits for students, including first-generation students and those from underrepresented communities.
In these visits, Fox provides information on the application process, housing, and scholarships—but another important takeaway is if students can envision themselves belonging on campus, he said.
Fox asks students to reflect: “As you’re walking around campus today, look around. Do you feel this a place you would fit in? Do you see people that seem like you would vibe with and that look like you?” he said.
While Fox said the AVID program is running as normal, he doesn’t know what the future holds.
“Uncertainty isn’t helpful as students and parents transition into their next phase of life,” Fox said.
As public schools and universities continue to navigate the executive orders coming from the White House on DEI practices, the IDRA researchers noted that their conclusions could foreshadow national implications of anti-DEI policies on high school students of color.
“I wouldn’t ever say that DEI offices were helping students get admitted or enrolled into the colleges,” said Latham Sikes. “The ‘I’ in DEI is just inclusion—inclusion being whoever you are, you belong here, and you should get support to be here and succeed.”
