After banning funding for diversity, equity and inclusion at public universities last year through Senate File 2435, a new proposal in the Iowa Legislature would urge private colleges and universities to also end all DEI programming.
House Study Bill 60 would make private higher education institutions ineligible for the Iowa Tuition Grant if they have DEI offices or programming, effectively ending the financial aid this grant provides Iowa college students. Funding would also be cut if a school were to hire an outside organization to provide DEI activities or speakers.
HSB 60 passed out of committee on Feb. 26 on a 7-4 on a party-line vote, ensuring it will survive the coming first legislative funnel on March 7. The bill will now go to the House floor for debate.
HSB 60 follows President Donald Trump’s executive orders to end DEI programming and funding in government departments, including the U.S. Department of Education. These actions are part of a broader Republican-led effort to remove DEI from educational institutions across the country.
During an education subcommittee on Feb. 12, several community members pleaded with lawmakers to block the bill.
“DEI is so much more than a name or a title,” Cierra Jackson, a law student at Drake University, said during the subcommittee. “I did not believe in myself until I went to a higher institution that had a program that was capable of supporting me and giving me the opportunities that I needed to succeed.”
Drake first-year Adam Bessman believes DEI programs help students feel safe and supported while they pursue higher education.
“With the passage of Senate File 2435 last year, private institutions are the only options left for students like me,” Bessman, a first-year student at Drake University said in the subcommittee. “If this bill is signed into law, minority students will be forced to endure greater discrimination at Iowa schools or have to look outside of the state for their education.”
Despite the comments, HSB 60 advanced to the full Education Committee.
“DEI is DOA (dead on arrival) in the state of Iowa, and for our private institutions, honestly, this bill should be the least of their worries,” Higher Education Chairperson Rep. Taylor Collins, R-Mediapolis, said as he advanced the bill out of subcommittee.
Collins proposed this bill as well as other anti-DEI bills this term such as House Study Bill 53 and House Study Bill 61. HSB 53 would prohibit DEI and critical race theory requirements for students and staff at public colleges and universities, and HSB 61 would prohibit DEI offices and activities at community colleges. Combined with last year’s Senate File 2435, these bills would require public, private and community colleges to eliminate DEI programming or face funding consequences.
HSB 60 would allow anyone to report a violation to the attorney general, regardless of whether they attend or work at that school. Once reported, the attorney general would give the institution 30 days to provide documentation that a violation did not occur or to correct the violation. If the institution does not comply, they would be ineligible for the Iowa Tuition Grant for the next academic year.
As a private university, Drake University is one of the schools that would be affected by the bill. As of January 2025, over 500 Drake students receive the Iowa Tuition Grant. According to Provost Sue Mattison, the financial impact of the grant is $4,042,500, or $7,500 per student.
“The goal of DEI engages the full potential of the individual,” Associate Provost for Campus Equity and Inclusion Terrance Pendleton said. “[It’s a place] where initiatives are created, where classes and trainings happen and where students who feel that their right to belong on campus is being challenged … have a place where they can come, report or talk about that.”
Opponents of the bill argue that eliminating DEI initiatives may lead to less community understanding as well as a loss of resources for students who need them.
“DEI is not a quota system,” Keenan Crow, director of policy and advocacy at One Iowa said. “DEI efforts at the college level can assist marginalized students that may not have had exposure to certain concepts before or may need specific resources. It can also include accessibility needs for students. It can include programming around diversity. This is going to lead to less understanding, less community, less positive interaction all around.”
Drake President Marty Martin expressed Drake’s continued commitment to welcoming diversity in a March 4 email to Drake faculty, staff and students.
“The road ahead is going to present many challenges to the values that define this institution, some of which I have tried to capture in this message,” Martin wrote. “My hope is that we travel this road together grounded in a shared commitment to be there for each other every step of the way. You have my unwavering commitment to remain steadfast in fostering a welcoming, inclusive, and safe community for all.”
