After 36 years away from a classroom, Edward Philbrook wasn’t sure he had the guts to go to college.

A disabled veteran, Philbrook couldn’t work and was temporarily homeless after leaving the military. He eventually was able to find housing through the VA, where he also learned about Veterans Upward Bound, which gave him the confidence to do what he worried was no longer an option.

Through Upward Bound, and specifically his adviser Katie Bauer, Philbrook took classes on how to write a college essay, got connected to scholarship programs, learned how to use a digital planner, and even got a loaner laptop he could use for online courses. Now, at 54 years old, he’s a student at the University of Maine at Augusta studying mental health and human services.

“I’m learning that I do have more of a chance at this than I thought I did. I was pretty nervous about trying” he said. “But going through Upward Bound with Katie showed me that it’s not as intimidating as I thought it was.”

Now, the program that got him there is in jeopardy.

This month, the federal Department of Education canceled more than $600,000 in funding for Veterans Upward Bound at the University of Southern Maine. If it’s not restored, the whole program will end on Sept. 30.

The eight-year-old program is part of TRIO, the group of federal programs designed to help disadvantaged or low-income students access higher education. There are many TRIO programs in Maine, based out of colleges and universities, but USM’s is the only one focused on veterans. It currently serves 125 veterans in the state and has a waitlist.

It’s also one of two TRIO grants in Maine that the federal government canceled this month. The other, River Valley Upward Bound, is based out of the University of Maine at Farmington and helps low-income high school students go to college. The University of Maine System is appealing both decisions, and several members of Maine’s congressional delegation are advocating that the funding be restored.

The five-year grant provides more than $300,000 annually and was awarded in 2022. However, a letter sent by the Department of Education on Sept. 12 said it would discontinue the next two years of already-allocated funding because of aspects of the program that “reflect the prior Administration’s priorities and policy preferences and conflict with those of the current Administration.”

Specifically, it said USM’s Veterans Upward Bound application referenced training and professional development in “topics such as diversity, equity, and inclusion; and trauma informed practice.”

It’s a tactic that the federal government under Trump has used to terminate already-allocated funds, including millions of dollars in health care research. Researchers in Maine say they have begun adapting their proposals to fit the new administration’s guidelines.

USM’s Veterans Upward Bound hasn’t used funds for anything related to DEI since January, system spokesperson Samantha Warren said. However, since the program is specifically oriented toward veterans, “trauma-informed practices continue to be appropriately used, as is common with those serving this population, including through the federal VA,” she said.

Warren said 80% of participants complete college within four years, well above the national average for that population.

U.S. Sen Susan Collins and U.S. Reps. Jared Golden and Chellie Pingree have all spoken out against the decision to cancel two of Maine’s Upward Bound grants. Collins, a longtime champion of the TRIO programs, said she’s in contact with the Department of Education about the canceled awards.

Philbrook said he’s not sure he ever would have gone back to school without the support of Upward Bound. At UMaine-Augusta, he’s getting straight As and learning how to help others.

“A lot of veterans and people out there, they serve this country and they deserve to get a little helping hand rehabilitating themselves,” he said.

Philbrook said he understands the need to control federal costs, but that this cut isn’t worth it.

Sun Journal Staff Writer Joe Charpentier contributed reporting.