The Sul Ross Skyline student publication is reporting that Sul Ross University may face layoffs and operational cuts following federal budget reductions to minority-serving institutions under the Trump Administration.
According to Skyline Desk Chief Maya Tinajero’s Oct. 3 report, President Carlos Hernandez informed faculty and staff in an email that an appeal to reinstate nearly half a million dollars in federal grants for technology studies at Hispanic Serving Institutions was denied. However, the university still retains almost $3 million in federal grant funding through fall 2026.
Despite the remaining grant funds, Hernandez confirmed a university-wide hiring freeze and acknowledged the potential for additional cost-cutting measures.
“Future losses related to these grants, coupled with the government shutdown, represent significant challenges to ongoing activities,” Hernandez wrote in the email. “We are continuing our review to identify alternatives in an effort to maximize operations and enrollment growth that will allow us to overcome these challenges.”
Hernandez added that Sul Ross will continue to “monitor institutional funding levels in the coming months to identify opportunities for operational sustainability and employee retention,” pledging that “those who may be impacted” will be “notified individually.”
The Skyline report also notes that U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said the Department of Education’s decision to halt funding to minority-serving institutions was part of its “commitment to ending discrimination in all forms across federally supported programs.”
Following the policy shift, the Trump Administration reportedly sent letters to nine institutions asking them to sign a compact with the federal government, requiring compliance with certain standards in exchange for access to select federal funds and benefits.
The Sul Ross Skyline’s full report was published Oct. 3 under the headline “Potential Layoffs and Cuts in University Operations Despite $3 Million in Federal Grants Standing Through Fall 2026.”
