Mankato campus. Faculty and staff union members voice objections to Trump budget. They see grave threat to student aid and higher-ed in general. Also object to Trump’s proposed cuts in medical and nutrition programs.
Concern: A weakened ollege role in a thriving society
WINONA, Minn. — The Trump budget bill moving through Congress poses “an unprecedented threat” to the future of higher education and he U.S. safety net for ordinary people, a statewide professor union said. .Jenna Chernega, president of the Inter-Faculty Organization, called on members to joins other advocacy organizations against the budget. The bill, Chernega said, would dramatically:
> Reshape student financial aid. and jeopardize access for low-income students.
> Cut millions of people from Medicaid and SNAP nutrition benefits.
“From stricter Pell Grant eligibility and the elimination of subsidized loans to new and potentially crippling accountability measures that penalize colleges, these proposals risk making higher education a privilege, not a pathway for all,” Chernega said. “They threaten to reduce access, increase student debt, and undermine the critical role our universities play in fostering a thriving society.”
Earlier: How they voted: Trump budget /6
Chernega. Sociology prof at Winona State University. State IFO president since 2022.