Dear Pomona College community,
I write this latest update on federal developments related to higher education as we turn toward the final stretch of the academic year, with less than 40 days until final exams begin—and the best of spring weather ahead on this beautiful campus. I wish our students well as they move through these last weeks of the semester and bring their incredible hard work and the fruits of their commitment to bear across our academic, athletics and co-curricular programs. My thanks and admiration, as always, goes out to our faculty and staff as they teach, mentor and guide our students through this momentous phase of the academic year.
As you know, on Sunday, I shared an update on the recent inquiry we received from a committee and subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representative. I want to emphasize that the College is strictly committed to its legal obligation to protect the privacy of our students, in accordance with laws that include the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). We certainly intend to uphold this commitment as we work with representatives of the Congressional committee to address their inquiry.
I appreciate the feedback I’ve received from your messages and the discussion during the faculty meeting held earlier this week. Your spirit of cooperation and collaboration at this time is critical as we all continue to support the central pillar of the mission of the College: to educate students of exceptional promise.
I also want to share that the College signed on this week to an amicus brief led by the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration. This brief will support a motion requesting a preliminary court order enjoining the White House administration’s policy of revoking the visas of and arresting, detaining and deporting noncitizen students and faculty exercising their free speech and association rights.
At the state level, we are working with the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU) to engage with California lawmakers on issues critical to higher education. Later this month, I will join other AICCU college presidents to meet with state legislators and discuss state budget priorities for college students.
Today I want to share the latest information we have on the following:
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE): As you are likely aware, in January, President Trump authorized ICE to enter public spaces on college and university campuses to pursue enforcement actions. Previously, ICE had been prohibited from doing so.
Since my last campus comprehensive update a couple of weeks ago, ICE has carried out enforcement actions on or near the campuses of numerous universities across the country. We are following these matters closely, including the questions being raised about the legality of several of those arrests. We are working with appropriate contacts and higher education associations to convey our views on these matters.
We are unaware of any such enforcement actions having occurred at any of the Claremont colleges, including Pomona. We know that inaccurate rumors have circulated, and I understand that this type of misinformation can be highly distressing. I assure you that if we learn of ICE’s having conducted any enforcement action at Pomona, we will inform you of that fact. I also want to assure you that should such actions develop, the College will do everything in its power to protect each and every student’s legal rights.
I remind you that we have provided related protocol information and FAQs about steps to take if such enforcement actions occur at Pomona. We continue to update that material as new information emerges. (To access this material, log in to the my.pomona.edu portal.)
- Resources for International Students: I want to highlight the excellent work by our Office of International Student Services led by Kathy Guillen Quispe. She has been a critical support for our international students, current and incoming, as well as our recent graduates with Optional Practical Training (OPT) work authorization. For more information please see the resource guide for international students or contact Kathy Quispe directly.
- Endowment tax: Congress continues to discuss a future budget bill that may include an increase in the tax rate on the endowments of nonprofit colleges and universities. Currently, federal policy applies an endowment tax of 1.4% on the net investment income of universities with endowments greater than $500,000 per student, which includes Pomona. Since the inception of that policy in 2017, Pomona College has paid more than $16 million in such taxes, which is roughly equivalent to 184 full scholarships.
We are closely following the continuing budget discussions around the possibility of increasing this tax rate for select nonprofit colleges and universities. In essence, every 1% of endowment tax results in a $2 million reduction in spending on College needs from Pomona’s endowment’s annual returns. You can read more about our endowment, its importance to the College’s investments in our educational program and our students, and related matters on the new website we have created for this purpose.
We are partnering with other liberal arts colleges and our national educational associations to convey to federal legislators and their staffs our concerns about the risks to education, access to a college education, and affordability that would result from increasing the endowment tax on nonprofit institutions like Pomona.
- Pell Grants: As you may know, Pell Grants constitute the largest source of post-secondary education grants in the country, annually helping more than 6.5 million undergraduate students with exceptional financial need realize their aspirations for a 4-year college education. Recent cuts to the U.S. Department of Education, which manages the Pell Grant program, have raised concerns that this program could face cuts as well. I want to share with you that the Pell Grant program has historically enjoyed strong bipartisan support, and we are hopeful that Congressional budget discussions will not result in reductions to Pell funding.
The Congressional Budget Office recently announced its calculations that by the time the federal fiscal year ends on September 30, 2025, the Pell Grant program likely will face a $2.7 billion shortfall. Congress continues to discuss how it will address that shortfall, but whatever decisions Congress may make on that matter will not affect the current academic year. The College stands by all financial commitments to continuing and incoming students.
While Pomona’s generous financial aid program meets an extensive portion of student financial aid needs, the College will continue to convey to leadership on Capitol Hill our strong view of the vital importance of the Pell Grant program to educational opportunity and access.
I realize that the uncertainty around these and other matters can be very disconcerting, and we will continue to provide regular updates and do our best to keep you informed. These FAQs provide information about the Congressional inquiry as well as other federal matters. Please let us know of any questions at campusquestions@pomona.edu or reach out to the following offices as noted:
- For student-related questions and support resources: Dean of Students Avis Hinkson or her staff members who serve as class deans.
- International students, please reach out to Kathy Quispe, assistant director of international student & scholar services.
- For questions related to faculty: Dean of the College Melanie Wu
- For staff and employee support: Assistant Vice President of Human Resources Alejandra Gaytan
Best wishes,
Bob
Robert Gaines
Acting President
Edwin F. and Martha Hahn Professor of Geology