Franklin, N.H. — Today, Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander convened a roundtable at Franklin Middle School with students, educators, parents, principals, superintendents, school board members, and advocates from across New Hampshire who have been impacted by the Trump Administration’s decisions to gut millions in education funding promised to communities across New Hampshire. These cuts are hitting the hardest-hit schools in our state, including in Franklin, Claremont, Pittsfield, Stewartstown, Lisbon, Berlin, Newport, and Nashua. During the two-hour discussion, Goodlander heard directly from the dozens of Granite Staters about what these cuts mean for their communities and their futures.
“The lives of thousands of Granite Staters across generations have been changed for the better because of the very programs that the Trump Administration has put on the chopping block,” said Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander. “These cuts are truly tragic and utterly senseless. They will hurt communities that are counting on us most — from Franklin to Stewartstown, Claremont to Lisbon, Pittsfield to Berlin, and Newport to Nashua. I will not stop working to deliver every penny that was promised to New Hampshire.”
Two of the programs impacted by the Trump Administration’s decisions to cut millions in education funding for New Hampshire are GEAR UP and TRIO, which collectively serve 5,500 students across the state. GEAR UP is a career exploration, tutoring, and mentorship program for low-income students starting in middle school, focused on increasing their college and career readiness. TRIO programs are designed to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds thrive in the academic pipeline and be successful beyond high school, in college and in pursuing higher education.
“Eliminating this highly successful program will be a major loss to families,” explains Nicole Shedd, Project Director of GEAR UP New Hampshire. “This decision will drive up the cost of college for students who need help the most. It will also do damage to our efforts to prioritize workforce development in our state. We have almost no time to urge Secretary McMahon to reconsider this decision, so we must act fast. You cannot make this kind of decision with little to no advance notice, not when you are shuttering a program that supports New Hampshire students most at risk of failing.”
“GEAR UP has been honored to walk alongside over 8,000 students statewide since 2016, providing college and career readiness opportunities that make a real difference: academic support, mentoring, caregiver engagement, financial literacy, workforce development, and so much more,” explains Stephanie Lesperance, Chief Strategy Officer at the Education Alliance for New Hampshire. “Together, we have seen firsthand how these services open doors for students who might otherwise feel hopeless. Losing this funding would be a devastating setback. Without GEAR UP support, many may lose access to resources that help close achievement gaps and support their transition beyond high school. The inequities we have worked so hard to lessen will only deepen.”
“The impact of the loss of these educational opportunity programs truly cannot be overstated,” said Adam Keese, Director of TRIO Programs at Keene State College. “As a direct result of the cancellation of these impacted programs, New Hampshire will be losing college readiness and academic support services to over 5,000 students across the state along with more than 30 staff member positions being eliminated, despite meeting program objectives and creating a significant difference for these students. The reinstatement of these programs must be resolved by September 30th to keep these irreplaceable resources within our New Hampshire communities.”
“Without restored funding, thousands of New Hampshire students—from middle school through college—stand to lose access to critical support services including college and career advising, academic tutoring, mentoring, research opportunities, and financial guidance,” said Joshua Gagnon, Director of UNH TRIO Upward Bound program. As Congresswoman Goodlander has emphasized, TRIO and GEAR UP WORK. The U.S. Department of Education’s own data confirm that students in these programs are more academically prepared for college, more likely to succeed once enrolled, and have a greater likelihood to pursue graduate education. Cutting these programs would jeopardize proven pathways to opportunity and upward mobility for the students who need them most.”
Goodlander is a fierce advocate for public education and for the federal funding promised to New Hampshire. Following weeks of her advocacy, the Trump Administration released the nearly $7 billion in education funding it had been withholding from America’s public schools, including $27 million for New Hampshire. She has filed multiple legal briefs to hold the administration accountable, including briefs in defense of the Department of Education and challenging the Trump Administration’s efforts to fire public servants, including America’s educators.
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