USDA restores over $100 million in funding to College of Maine System, Sen. Collins proclaims
In a big flip of occasions, the Trump administration has restored all USDA funding to the College of Maine System. The choice got here after a interval of uncertainty when federal funding had been frozen as a result of an investigation into the college’s dealing with of transgender athletes in ladies’s sports activities. Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins confirmed the reversal, providing reduction to the College of Maine and its crucial analysis and neighborhood applications.
Earlier this yr, on February 22, 2025, the US Division of Agriculture (USDA) launched a compliance overview of the College of Maine System, specializing in potential violations of Title IX, a federal legislation prohibiting sex-based discrimination in training. The overview was triggered by the college’s resolution to permit transgender ladies to compete in ladies’s sports activities, which reportedly violated a latest govt order by President Trump.
USDA funding helps very important applications
As reported by the WGME, the USDA funding helps a spread of applications which can be essential to Maine’s agricultural and academic panorama. This consists of analysis into PFAS contamination, in addition to research on potatoes, blueberries, apples, constructing supplies, and tick-borne ailments by the UMaine Tick Lab. Moreover, the funding advantages the 4-H program and plenty of partnerships with Maine’s agricultural, aquaculture, and forestry industries.
In response to Sen. Collins, the restoration of funding is important not just for the College of Maine but additionally for the native financial system. “This USDA funding is critically vital not solely to the College of Maine, however to our farmers and loggers, in addition to to the many individuals who work in Maine’s agriculture, aquaculture, and forestry industries,” Sen. Collins mentioned in a press release. She added that the continuation of those applications will assist help analysis and improvement, benefiting native communities.
Constructive reactions from state officers
Gov. Janet Mills additionally welcomed the choice, emphasizing the constructive affect on college students, school, and the broader Maine neighborhood. As quoted by the WGME, Gov. Mills expressed reduction, saying, “The Governor welcomes the choice by USDA to revive funding to the College of Maine System. It’s a reduction to the various college students, employees, and school who rely on that funding to help cutting-edge analysis and improvement, put together for careers in Maine, and make invaluable contributions to our rural communities and our financial system.”
The USDA’s resolution to revive the funding marks the top of a months-long dispute and represents a victory for these advocating for the continuation of significant applications on the College of Maine.
