Tester Slams Biden Administration’s Decision to Defund a Critical Program for Montana’s Rural Students

In letter to Education Secretary, Senator demands Department reconsider the decision or find another way to fund program that promotes college readiness

“This rejection… clearly demonstrates that unelected bureaucrats in Washington D.C. simply do not understand rural states like Montana”

Continuing his efforts to preserve educational opportunities for Montana’s rural students, U.S. Senator Jon Tester today slammed the Biden Administration’s recent decision to defund the Montana University System’s Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Program (GEAR UP). In a letter to Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, Tester expressed his “extreme disappointment” that the Department rejected the state’s application based on subjective diversity hiring requirements, and demanded the decision be reconsidered.  

“I am deeply troubled by indications that the Department rejected Montana’s application based primarily on an unfair scoring decision related to subjective diversity hiring requirements that failed to recognize the work already being done on this front,” Tester wrote. “It is critical that you immediately reconsider the decision to end Montana GEAR UP by reassessing this grant decision or finding an alternative method to fund this critical initiative for Montana’s students.”

Tester continued, “This rejection of Montana’s GEAR UP application clearly demonstrates that unelected bureaucrats in Washington D.C. simply do not understand rural states like Montana and would rather push their own ill-advised agendas on hiring practices than actually help the students that would benefit from this funding… I request your immediate reconsideration of this matter and look forward to your response.”

Montana GEAR UP prepares rural students for college by providing tutoring, mentoring, academic and career counseling, and exposure to college campuses. Without the resources provided by Montana GEAR UP, many statewide services, including free access to the ACT and pre-ACT and Montana’s dual enrollment program, will be severely limited. 

Tester has led the charge to expand educational opportunities for rural students. Last month, as a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Tester secured key provisions for Montana students in the 2025 government funding bill, including $110 million for YouthBuild, which provides job training and leadership development for Montana youth. Tester also secured language requiring the Department of Education to release a study on the impacts of last year’s changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) calculation of family farm assets.

Last year, Tester introduced his bipartisan Family Farm and Small Business Exemption Act to ensure farm families aren’t paying higher costs to send their kids to college. Tester’s bill would restore the exemptions for family farm land and small businesses from being declared as an asset on the FAFSA form, saving the children of farmers and small business owners from being denied sufficient aid in the application and financial aid calculation.

You can read the full text of the Senator’s letter HERE.