Applying to college isn’t simple for the class of 2026 – and with the Trump administration cutting back on diversity, equity and inclusion programs in higher education, students face a new consideration when choosing where to apply.  

In recent months, the state of Ohio has thrust diversity, equity and inclusion policies at its public colleges and universities into the political spotlight – setting  off a chain reaction that now ripples through high school classrooms and student organizations. 

In March 2025, Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law the Advance Ohio Higher Education Act, a sweeping piece of legislation that bans DEI offices and programs at public institutions. The law prohibits the consideration of “diversity statements” in hiring or admissions, restricts certain classroom instruction, rescinds key collective bargaining protections for faculty and mandates a civic course for all college students. Institutions that fail to comply face steep funding penalties. 

Because the law explicitly bars the “continuation of existing diversity, equity, and inclusion offices or departments’ and bans the creation of new ones,” Ohio colleges have been forced to restructure, rebrand or dismantle longstanding DEI efforts. 

Some, like the University of Akron, have tried to adapt by renaming offices – transforming their DEI division into a “Community Engagement, Opportunity, and Belonging” office. Others have folded DEI work into human resources or student affairs departments. 

Yet for students like senior Muhammad Nicholson, the impact of the law feels personal – and immediate. “My vision of a great college campus is very similar to what we have at Shaker, and that’s that it would be diverse,” Nicholson said. 

Facing ongoing cuts to school funding, Nicholson said the rollback of DEI programming has begun to reach the high school . “As a SGORR leader, I feel like the effects of the DEI ban are starting to creep in,” he said. “A small but impactful change, for example, is the title change of the SGORR adviser. A decrease in funding is also a problem because only new SGORR members will be able to receive shirts this year.” 

Nicholson said the small changes — such as renaming advisers or shrinking budgets — send powerful signals. “Even a small funding issue, like not having enough SGORR shirts for returning members, sends a message,” he said. “These things matter when you’re building a culture where students feel seen and valued.”

“It’s important for my future college to support DEI programs because without them, we’d be taking steps back in time,” he said. “DEI helps bring people closer together, and not acknowledging that is pure idiocracy.”

Senior Talia Kansal also said that she values DEI programs as part of her college experience. “It is extremely important to me that my future college supports DEI programs and student groups that support different backgrounds and identities,” Kansal said. “College is expensive, and having these programs is something that is important to me, and are necessary to receive a meaningful education. Learning alongside and discussing amongst students from different backgrounds is a unique aspect of college.”

Kansal said that many of her friends who want to go to academically rigorous schools are concerned about the Trump administration’s involvement. “At Shaker, many of the students go to premier, academically rigorous universities. These universities are the subject of much of the presidents’ efforts to reshape college education,” she said. “Many of my classmates, who want to apply to these schools, care about whether their university is accepting deals with our president for more funding in exchange for reshaping the university curriculum.”

While lawmakers debate the merits of dismantling DEI, students such as senior Myles Hills say these programs are more than political talking points — they are vital to identity and belonging. “As a Black male, I find it incredibly important to have spaces where people from different backgrounds can feel seen and supported,” Hills said. “DEI programs help create an environment where everyone can contribute and thrive not only academically, but socially and culturally, too.”

“Diversity to me means the bringing together of people with different backgrounds, culture and stories,” Hills said. “Equity means making sure everyone has access to the same opportunities, even if that means offering extra support to those who historically haven’t been supported. And inclusion means nobody being left out; nobody feeling like they are less than or unwanted.”

“I want to be part of a community that not only welcomes diversity but actively celebrates it,” he said. “It’s not just about scholarships or clubs — it’s about knowing there’s a place for you, that your story and your existence matter.”

Nicholson said he also feels uneasy about changes at The Ohio State University, where his brother was involved in DEI-related programs now being phased out. “I do feel uneasy about OSU letting go of a couple of programs that my brother was a part of, but I also feel like everything will turn out well because things have a way of falling into place,” he said. 

This sentiment is echoed at the college level by Christopher McCann, an OSU student who watched firsthand as his school dismantled DEI infrastructure in response to earlier legislation — Senate Bill 1 — that served as a precursor to the Advance Ohio Higher Education Act. “Earlier this year, the OSU campus had a clear response to Senate Bill 1: We wanted to protect DEI programs at our university,” McCann said. “I attended a protest against the bill in February. Hundreds of students gathered on the Oval as the bill reached the Senate, while the university prematurely began dismantling DEI initiatives. Each of us stood united — these actions did not represent our university community.”

Shaker alumna Anna Oestreich (’25), a freshman at Case Western Reserve University, said that when she was deciding which college to attend, Trump was already in office, and had begun implementing cuts on DEI programs. “It did play a role in me picking Case. That’s one of the reasons I didn’t pick OSU – because I didn’t agree with SB 1, so I wanted to go to a private institution where that wasn’t going to be a problem,” she said.

Oestreich said she is aware that at CWRU, the Office of DEI was replaced with the Office of Campus Enrichment and Engagement – however, she thinks the university still offers many identity groups for students. “We still have an LGBT center. We still have the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women. So, I feel like at Case there’s still a lot of programming that happens, and there’s just a lot of student groups for different identities. So I feel like we still have a lot of programming that DEI offices maybe would put on at other campuses.”

McCann said his own comfort as a white male student hasn’t changed, but that’s part of the problem. “I am fortunate that this political environment has not changed how safe I feel on campus, since it was built for people who look like me,” he said. “But the same cannot be said for everyone. No one deserves to feel like an outlier or to have their safety discounted simply because new legislation was passed to make them feel that way.”

McCann said he has noticed few changes in his classes – and that lack of awareness among some students highlights a larger divide. “These political changes have had disturbingly little noticeable effect on my major, courses or the tone of classroom discussions,” he said. “That demonstrates how easily people in privileged positions can forget that DEI rollbacks ever happened while those affected continue to suffer.”

At CWRU, Oestreich said that people on campus are worried about how the Trump administration will continue to affect higher education in general – however, the cuts of DEI programs aren’t discussed often. “Most of the upperclassmen I know, they haven’t really talked about it. It’s not something that at least the people I know talk about,” she said.  

Will Warren, who advises SHHS student leadership programs including SGORR, MAC Scholars and Bridges, said he’s fielding new concerns – not about grades or test scores, but about belonging. “Since so many campuses have disbanded their DEI offices and resources, the affinity spaces and student orgs that once provided that sense of community are no longer there,” Warren said. “I recently talked to a parent of a Shaker grad attending a college that I worked at for several years, and she’s having a tough time finding her community. It’s affecting her college experience in a negative way.”

Shaker students are known for their civic engagement and academic strength, but Warren said some are now reevaluating college choices based on inclusivity and campus climate. “They’ve expressed concerns about applying to schools that no longer offer scholarships or grants for students of color,” he said. “Many of them are applying to places where their GPA, test scores and academic résumé qualify them for other aid.” 

Although students rarely cite politics directly, Warren said they are more cautious than before – and for good reason. “I worry that the progress made by these support programs and initiatives will be rolled back and deter high school students from pursuing the college experience,” he said. “That experience is crucial to personal and professional development — making connections, lifelong friendships and getting outside your comfort zone.”

Warren encourages students to take a proactive role in researching colleges. “I advise them to visit schools and ask tough questions of admissions reps,” he said. “Get to know the academic, financial and student-life support systems. If they’ve found passion for what we do in SGORR, see if the school has a similar student org — if not, ask how to create one.”

Junior SGORR member Tabitha Dina said she values SGORR because it provides a space for people from different backgrounds to share how their lives are different. “I would seek out a group like [SGORR] in college, because I think it’s an important thing to have in your community, to bring people together,” she said. 

But what began at Ohio’s public colleges is now seeping into K-12 classrooms.

Following the Advance Ohio Higher Education Act, State Sen. Andrew Brenner introduced Senate Bill 113, a proposal aimed at extending DEI restrictions to public elementary, middle and high schools. If passed, SB 113 would ban DEI training, limit administrative and curriculum practices rooted in equity work, and potentially criminalize certain instruction on race, gender or identity — echoing laws passed in Florida, Texas and Tennessee.

At the high school, administration and program leaders have already begun adjusting. Warren confirmed that his office was recently renamed, shifting from a DEI-branded title to the Office of Inclusive Excellence and Engagement – a change meant to sidestep political pressure while continuing the same work. “My approach hasn’t changed, but I’ve had to adjust certain verbiage and language to reflect that SGORR, MAC Scholars and Bridges are inclusive and open to all students,” Warren said. “I’ve been in constant conversation with my boss, Dr. [Lawrence] Burnley, leaning on his expertise in DEI to ensure the sustainability of these impactful student programs.” Burnley is the district’s chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer. 

However, counselor David Peake said he hasn’t seen any notable change to how seniors have been approaching college applications this year. He said that the biggest issue on students’ minds is the rising costs of tuition. “The underlying issue is the cost of education for all students. So sure, there are programs that are cut. There’s funding that’s been cut. I think the bigger issue is why are there so many programs?” he said. “The moment you receive the [high school] diploma, then suddenly – oh, you can’t have education anymore. You’ve got to come up with thousands of dollars to go to a single class.”

Peake said that for families, concern is most prominent for students who don’t have U.S. citizenship. “Many of them aren’t able to receive federal aid,” he said. “So trying to figure out how those students can pay for college is very, very tricky, and there’s a lot of concern from those parents whose students have done exceptionally well at Shaker, but just aren’t a U.S. citizen yet.” 

Peake said that students in the LGBTQ+ community have been hesitant to apply to schools in certain regions, a trend that began last year. “Some students maybe don’t want to apply to a school in Florida, or they’re looking for schools in more liberal communities and regions. I felt like we were moving in a positive direction, nationally, and I think there’s a regression now. I feel that some schools are more welcoming than others.” 

He said that LGBTQ+ students who want to be on an accepting campus often use an online political index to gauge the political lean of colleges.  “Students are concerned about that. I think some people want to take a giant step back. And if I’m a queer student, if I’m a trans student, that’s something that I might be concerned about,” he said.  

Counselor Cathy Szendrey said that she has learned new information about DEI programs by observing college visits at the high school. In one private school visit, the representative said that DEI is part of the school’s mission. “The state won’t take away their funding, and, because it’s in their mission – as a private school, they’re Christian-based, they won’t have any funds slashed,” she said. “I thought that was interesting because I didn’t think about that for students applying to private versus the public schools that they’re really hitting.” 

Szendrey said she is concerned about programs being cut at other schools. “I’m worried, because there’s a lot of mentoring programs, scholarships – I’m curious about Ohio State, what they’re going to do,” she said. 

When counselors ask colleges if they will approach admissions differently this year because of government pressure, they are told no, Szendrey said. “I feel like everybody’s holding their breath,” she said. “What’s the fallout going to be?” 

Szendrey said that fewer students have applied to southern schools this year, but they haven’t cited politics as the reason. She said that next year, when today’s juniors are applying to college, the effects will be more evident. “I feel like this next cycle is going to be asking questions,” she said.  

Szendrey agreed that LGBTQ+ students have been concerned about their safety at college. “How safe are they going to feel on campus? How safe are they going to feel off campus?” she said. “If programs are slashed, how are they going to be supported? Even mental health programs are being slashed.” 

Szendrey said that she would advise juniors to ask the questions they’re concerned about. “I would say, get on the campus and ask the hard questions that you’re wondering about. Or get on a virtual call, or somehow get connected with the community.” 

A version of this article appears in print on pages 5, 6 and 7 of Volume 96, Issue 2, published Oct. 28, 2025.

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