High School Students Express Concerns Over Impacts of National Endowment for the Humanities Budget Reductions on Their Education
In a move that has raised concerns among educators and students, the Trump administration announced drastic funding cuts to the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) in April, affecting programs like the National History Day (NHD). The NHD, a nonprofit that runs an annual competition engaging 500,000 students in original historical research, lost a significant portion of its funding from the NEH.
The cuts sliced $825,000 from NHD's budget over several years, a loss that may force some states to cancel their NHD programs and scale back the national event. More than half of NHD's state-level competitions rely in part or entirely on funding from state humanities councils, which were also affected by the cuts.
Lynne O'Hara, deputy director of educational programs at National History Day, emphasizes the sense of community at schools around National History Day. She believes that the program provides students with the opportunity to have control over and command over a topic, which empowers them.
Anita Kuriakose, a high school junior, shares similar sentiments. She expresses concern that the funding cuts may lead to a lack of representation for students from low-income and marginalized communities at the national event. She fears that other students may be cut from the research experience and prevented from gaining more insight into historical perspectives.
In August, a federal judge characterized the Trump administration's abrupt cancellation of the grants as unlawful and allowed the case to proceed. Organizations including the Oregon Humanities, Federation of State Humanities Councils, American Council of Learned Societies, American Historical Association, and Modern Language Association have sued over the NEH funding cuts.
Despite the funding challenges, the NHD continues to offer resources and training to teachers. Participating teachers often find that it changes the way they teach and creates school cultures. For students, the program offers a unique opportunity to explore niche or smaller areas of history that they wouldn't be able to as deeply in a classroom.
For instance, Marium Zahra, a high school senior and independent journalist, was able to use the NHD to delve into people, events, and injustices that are traditionally ignored in history curricula. Similarly, a high school senior in Texas expanded on what they felt was missing or inaccurate in their textbooks through the NHD.
The cuts to NHD funding are part of a broader effort by lawmakers to change how history is understood and what students can know about their past. Lisa Cook, Governor of the US Federal Reserve, filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump for her dismissal, claiming it was unprecedented and illegal.
Despite the challenges, the NHD's spirit remains undeterred. Marium Zahra, who hopes to present at the local NHD fair in six months, is a testament to this resilience. The theme for the 2025-26 event is "Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History", a fitting reminder of the transformative power of historical research and understanding.
