The Government Tried to Cancel Colleges’ Grants. Now It’s Rewriting the Rules for Awarding Them.

The changes would give the Trump administration broad discretion to terminate federal grants at any point during their active disbursement if political appointees determine that the grant-funded work does not align with the administration’s priorities. So far, courts have intervened when the Trump administration has made such retroactive and sweeping cuts, with judges often saying officials have violated protocols — a barrier the administration now hopes to avoid going forward by changing the protocols.