The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), spearheaded by Elon Musk, has significantly reduced spending on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives within the Department of Education. In a recent announcement, DOGE revealed it had terminated 70 DEI training grants, resulting in a $373 million reduction in taxpayer expenditures.

One of the terminated grants was reportedly intended to provide training for educators to address personal biases and cultivate "asset-based anti-racist mindsets." This move is the latest in a series of cost-cutting measures implemented by DOGE, which has been actively targeting DEI programs across the federal government. Over the past few weeks, DOGE has canceled various funding streams, including a $9.7 million grant to UC Berkeley.

This latest round of cuts follows a previous announcement where DOGE terminated 89 Department of Education contracts totaling $881 million, over $100 million of which were dedicated to DEI grants. This action has drawn praise from figures such as Heather Higgins, CEO of Independent Women's Voice, and Nicole Neily, founder and president of Parents Defending Education. Neily expressed gratitude for the Trump administration's efforts to address programs perceived as detrimental to student achievement.

These spending cuts coincide with a broader crackdown on DEI practices in education. The Department of Education recently issued a mandate to all 50 state education departments, requiring them to eliminate DEI policies within 14 days or face potential loss of federal funding. The department's letter emphasized its stance against racial discrimination in educational settings, citing Supreme Court precedent against treating students differently based on race to achieve goals like diversity or equity.