An article from Education Department retracts CTE grants for Native American and Hawaiian students

The agency said the nearly $21.6 million grant competitions do not “align with the objectives established by the Trump Administration.”

Published May 15, 2025 Naaz Modan Senior Reporter

• post
• share
• post
• print
• email
• license

Two canceled U.S. Department of Education grant programs supporting career and technical education opportunities for Native American and Native Hawaiian students didn't align with Trump administration objectives, according to notices published in the Federal Register. Kayla Bartkowski via Getty Images

First published on

Listen to the article 3 min This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback.

The U.S. Department of Education canceled two grant competitions for fiscal year 2025 meant to improve career opportunities for Native American and Native Hawaiian students, according to notices published in the Federal Register earlier this month. 

The competitions were canceled because they do not "align with the objectives established by the Trump Administration while fostering consistency across all grant programs." The department also said in its notices that canceling the competition for the fiscal year is part of "enhancing the economic effectiveness of Federal education funding." 

Instead of continuing the competitions, the department will dedicate available funds to support current recipients of the grants. 

waitToLoadAds.push(function() { googletag.cmd.push(function() { if (window.dfp_visibility == 'mobile' ) { googletag.display('dfp-hybrid1-mobile'); googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function (event) { var adUnitPath = '/21662595662/highereddive/highereddivehybrid1'; var onProformative = false; if (onProformative && event.slot.getAdUnitPath() === adUnitPath && !event.isEmpty ) { var adUnitPathWithVisibility = adUnitPath + '-mobile'; var selector = '.pf-comments__ad-wrapper [data-container-ad-unit-id="' + adUnitPathWithVisibility + '"]'; if (!$(selector).closest('.pf-comments__ad-wrapper').hasClass('borders')) { $(selector).closest('.pf-comments__ad-wrapper').addClass('borders') } } }); } }); }); waitToLoadAds.push(function() { googletag.cmd.push(function() { if (window.dfp_visibility == 'desktop' ) { googletag.display('dfp-hybrid2-desktop'); googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function (event) { var adUnitPath = '/21662595662/highereddive/highereddivehybrid2'; var onProformative = false; if (onProformative && event.slot.getAdUnitPath() === adUnitPath && !event.isEmpty ) { var adUnitPathWithVisibility = adUnitPath + '-desktop'; var selector = '.pf-comments__ad-wrapper [data-container-ad-unit-id="' + adUnitPathWithVisibility + '"]'; if (!$(selector).closest('.pf-comments__ad-wrapper').hasClass('borders')) { $(selector).closest('.pf-comments__ad-wrapper').addClass('borders') } } }); } }); });

In total, the grants provided nearly $21.6 million for the Native American Career and Technical Education Program and the Native Hawaiian Career and Technical Education Program, according to the Education Department's Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education. It provided nearly $18 million in Native American opportunities and $3.6 million for Native Hawaiians on an annual basis, according to the department. 

The competitions were originally announced in the Federal Register on Jan. 7, prior to the inauguration of President Donald Trump, who has proposed a much slimmer Education Department budget that would cut its total funding by 15%. The administration has also already slashed a handful of other education grant programs. 

In previous years, the Native American and Native Hawaiian grants have supported colleges, schools and tribes in establishing postsecondary career pathways.  

For example, in fiscal year 2021, the department awarded 39 grants under the NACTEP program and nine grants under the NHCTEP program. 

A NACTEP grant awarded to Chief Leschi Schools, a Native American tribal school located in Washington, allowed for work-based learning related to fisheries, medical facilities, schools and other careers.

"The tribal connections of pathways embrace and honor the culture and identity of students and families and provide students a connection to their heritage along with a path to a successful future," the program description states.

In Castle High School in Hawaii, the NHCTEP program prepared students for a medical career pathway.

waitToLoadAds.push(function() { googletag.cmd.push(function() { if (window.dfp_visibility == 'mobile' ) { googletag.display('dfp-hybrid2-mobile'); googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function (event) { var adUnitPath = '/21662595662/highereddive/highereddivehybrid2'; var onProformative = false; if (onProformative && event.slot.getAdUnitPath() === adUnitPath && !event.isEmpty ) { var adUnitPathWithVisibility = adUnitPath + '-mobile'; var selector = '.pf-comments__ad-wrapper [data-container-ad-unit-id="' + adUnitPathWithVisibility + '"]'; if (!$(selector).closest('.pf-comments__ad-wrapper').hasClass('borders')) { $(selector).closest('.pf-comments__ad-wrapper').addClass('borders') } } }); } }); });

"The project will provide culture-based education to Native Hawaiian students and foster a community where relationships are formed, and learning is connected to the context of students’ lives applied to the real world," the description states. 

In 2021-22, there were more than 8.1 million high school CTE participants out of 11.5 million participants nationwide, according to the Association for Career and Technical Education. Nationally, about 109,000 were American Indian or Alaska Native and 43,000 were Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.

Recommended Reading

• Trump’s FY26 budget plan slashes Education Department programs By Natalie Schwartz • May 2, 2025
• What do the massive Education Department layoffs look like? See for yourself. By Naaz Modan, Jasmine Ye Han • March 28, 2025

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• purchase licensing rights

Filed Under: Policy & Legal, Students Higher Ed Dive news delivered to your inbox

Get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts

Email:

• Select user consent: By signing up to receive our newsletter, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe at anytime.

Sign up A valid email address is required. Please select at least one newsletter. Editors' picks

• Drew Angerer / Staff via Getty Images Carnegie Classifications debuts redesign of system to group colleges

  It now has multiple categories to capture the size and mission of colleges and a new classification focused on student access and earnings.

  By Natalie Schwartz • April 24, 2025
• Retrieved from Cecelia Alexander. ‘A complete takeover’: Indiana lawmakers pass last-minute college governance overhaul

  A proposed state budget would, in part, create post-tenure reviews at public colleges and give the governor full control of Indiana University's board.

  By Laura Spitalniak • April 29, 2025

Keep up with the story. Subscribe to the Higher Ed Dive free daily newsletter

Email:

• Select user consent: By signing up to receive our newsletter, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe at anytime.

Sign up A valid email address is required. Please select at least one newsletter. var siteName = 'Higher Ed Dive' || null; if (siteName) { setupFormCallbackAndCreateFormIfSub(siteName, 'inline'); } $(document).ready(function () { // copy the contents of the generic_signup partial into the desktop_signup_spot $desktop_signup_spot = $("#desktop-inline-signup"); $desktop_signup = $("#inline-signup-html-desktop").children(); $desktop_signup_spot.append($desktop_signup); $("#inline-signup-html-desktop").remove(); });