Trump admin PAUSES funding to the University of Maine System over transgender sports policy

03/16/2025 / By Ava Grace

The Trump administration has paused federal funding to the University of Maine System (UMS) due to Maine’s refusal to comply with an executive order aimed at preventing biological males from competing in women’s sports, citing Title IX violations.
The order signed last month seeks to withhold federal funds from schools allowing transgender athletes in women’s sports. It also denies visas to foreign transgender athletes competing in U.S. women’s events.
The funding pause affects $29.78 million in USDA funding for UMS in fiscal year 2024, which supports critical programs like 4-H, agricultural research and Maine’s lobster industry.
The issue has sparked widespread controversy, with 79 percent of Americans opposing biological males in women’s sports – aligning with the NCAA’s updated gender eligibility policy.
The dispute escalated between President Donald Trump and Maine Gov. Janet Mills, with Trump threatening funding cuts and Mills vowing legal action – highlighting the broader national debate over fairness, inclusivity and women’s sports integrity.

The Trump administration has taken decisive action against the University of Maine System (UMS), halting federal funding in response to the state’s refusal to comply with an executive order aimed at protecting women’s sports from the inclusion of transgender athletes.

The UMS, a network of eight public colleges serving nearly 30,000 students, is the state’s largest educational enterprise. However, its defiance of Trump’s EO has now placed it in the crosshairs of federal scrutiny.

The EO signed last month seeks to rewrite Title IX rules to withhold federal funds from schools that allow biological males to compete in women’s sports. Additionally, it directs the Department of Homeland Security to deny visas to foreign transgender athletes seeking to compete in women’s events in the United States. The order and the subsequent funding cuts to the Pine Tree State’s major public university system underscores the administration’s commitment to preserving fairness and integrity in women’s athletics, a stance that resonates with a significant majority of Americans. (Related: Office for Civil Rights: Maine’ trans athlete policy VIOLATES Title IX.)

Maine’s steadfast refusal to comply with these measures has prompted the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to pause funding to UMS while it reviews potential violations of Title IX and Title VI, which prohibit sex and race discrimination, respectively.

A UMS spokesperson confirmed the funding pause on Tuesday, March 11, stating that the system had been notified via email from the USDA’s Office of the Chief Financial Officer. The email instructed agencies to temporarily halt payments to UMS and Columbia University while the USDA evaluates whether further action is warranted.

The funding pause is a significant blow to the UMS, which received $29.78 million from the USDA in fiscal year 2024 alone. These funds support critical programs, including 4-H youth development, agricultural research and initiatives to sustain Maine’s lobster industry. The USDA has reportedly provided over $100 million to UMS in recent years, making the pause a substantial financial disruption.

Mills vs. Trump: The battle over transgender athletes in women’s sports heats up

The controversy stems from Maine’s decision to allow transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports, a policy that has sparked heated debate across the nation. Recent polls indicate that 79 percent of Americans oppose allowing biological males to compete in women’s athletics, reflecting widespread concern over fairness and safety. The NCAA has also amended its gender eligibility policy to prohibit athletes assigned male at birth from competing in women’s sports, aligning with the Trump administration’s stance.

Trump has been vocal about his commitment to protecting women’s sports, reiterating his intent to withhold federal funding from states that defy his executive order. The clash between Trump and Mills escalated during a bipartisan meeting of governors at the White House, where the two engaged in a heated exchange.

He singled out Mills during the February meeting, warning that the Pine Tree State would lose federal funding if it continued to allow transgender athletes to compete in girls’ sports. Mills, a Democrat, fired back, vowing to follow the law and threatening legal action if funding was withheld.

The USDA’s decision to pause funding is a clear signal that the Trump administration is serious about enforcing its policies on transgender athletes. While UMS maintains that it is in compliance with state and federal laws, the funding pause underscores the high stakes of this debate.

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Watch President Donald Trump remarking that the war on women’s sports is over.

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