Private colleges that participate in the Iowa Tuition Grant program would be barred from having diversity, equity and inclusion offices under a bill advancing in the Iowa House.
The program provides scholarshipsv to students attending private colleges and universities in Iowa based on financial need.
Rep. Taylor Collins, R-Mediapolis, says private institutions across the state should be concerned with President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting DEI initiatives at colleges that receive federal funds.
“DEI is D.O.A. [dead on arrival] in the state of Iowa, and for our private institutions, honestly, this bill should be the least of their worries. There's an executive order that President Trump has signed that I think they should be worrying about much more than even this one.”
If passed, anyone would be able to report a violation of the law to the attorney general. A school that does not fix or disprove a violation would be blocked from participating in the Iowa Tuition Grant program starting the following year.