Van Hollen, Towson president warn federal actions and budget moves could threaten grants, aid

U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen and Towson University President Mark Ginsberg told the Baltimore County House Delegation on March 21 that recent federal agency changes and pending budget actions could put federal grants and student financial aid at risk and harm services used by Maryland residents.

Van Hollen, a Maryland senator, said recent actions at the federal level have produced “harm” across programs and agencies and noted ongoing litigation that has temporarily halted some of the administration’s moves. He cited a recent court order affecting access to Social Security Administration records and warned that a budget reconciliation package being discussed in Congress could include deep spending cuts that would disproportionately benefit higher-income taxpayers and reduce programs such as Medicaid. “This is not a sort of surgical effort to save money. In my view, it's clearly not even an effort toward greater government efficiency,” Van Hollen said.

Why it matters: Delegation members heard that possible reductions to Medicaid and other federal programs could have direct effects on Marylanders and state budgets. Van Hollen pointed to a nonpartisan assessment from the Congressional Budget Office on potential Medicaid cuts as a basis for concern.

Mark Ginsberg, president of Towson University, described the university’s scale and how dependent some students and programs are on federal funding. Towson enrolls nearly 20,000 students and counts roughly 4,000 from Baltimore County; Ginsberg said about 40% of students receive some form of federal financial aid. He said Towson faces “a lot of risk” and uncertainty tied to federal actions and cited an estimated $25,000,000 of federal grants that the university considers potentially at risk because of recent federal enforcement and grant‑funding reviews. He also told the delegation that a federal court recently ordered the release of a $5,000,000 teacher‑training grant to Towson after it had been withheld, illustrating ongoing litigation over grant decisions.

Ginsberg also said Towson had received a formal notice of investigation from the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Education; he described Towson as one of 45 institutions that had been notified and called the matter “a high stake, very high stakes issue.” He described the university’s role in workforce and economic development, noting roughly 3,100 employees, a 72% graduation rate by cohort measures, and that about 92% of graduates remain in the region.

Delegates asked about campus climate and antisemitism. Ginsberg described Towson’s approach as a mix of dialogue and clearly defined limits for demonstrations, and he highlighted partnerships with campus Hillel, Chabad and the Islamic Student Association. He referenced a spring program in Washington that paired students at the Holocaust Museum and the National Museum of African American History and Culture as an example of campus programming intended to foster dialogue.

Delegation members also asked Van Hollen about other federal issues raised locally, including the National Transportation Safety Board’s findings on key bridges and funding for IRS enforcement; Van Hollen said he expects federal emergency funds for the Key Bridge will remain available and warned that cuts to IRS enforcement could reduce federal revenues.

The delegation did not take action on these federal items; the session was informational, with senators and the university president answering questions from delegates.

Speakers quoted or cited in this article: U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (U.S. senator); Mark Ginsberg, President, Towson University; Jessica Klaitman (regional director for Sen. Van Hollen).

Ending: Delegates thanked the guests and moved on to the delegation’s business agenda, including several bill hearings and votes later in the same session.