Federal equity assistance centers, funded under longstanding grants, are fighting to remain open after the Education Department ended early grants and administrators moved to restructure funding administration. Eshé Collins, who leads Region II in 11 southern states, said her center’s five-year grant ended more than two years early, triggering litigation that ultimately restored funds. The report also details staff disruptions during grant lapses, including layoffs, reduced hours, and a center shutting down before being revived with new staff and a new institutional home. It adds that the administration has proposed eliminating the centers’ annual $6.6 million funding. On top of that, additional administrative changes were announced, including shifting the centers’ work from one department office to another in the research arm overseen by the Institute of Education Sciences. For higher education institutions that host or partner with these centers, the near-term concern is stability: grant continuity, staffing retention, and the continuity of equity-focused technical assistance during policy transitions.