After the Education Department cut funding to Minority‑Serving Institutions, several state legislatures moved to recognize and sustain MSIs through targeted bills and budgets to protect access for underrepresented students. State-level interventions aim to fill gaps left by the federal rollback and stabilize critical pipelines for low‑income and first‑generation learners. In Georgia, lawmakers approved a $325 million need‑based DREAMS Scholarship to pivot from the longstanding merit-based HOPE model. The policy shifts prioritize affordability and retention by directing public funds to lower‑income students and signal a growing trend of states expanding or redesigning financial aid to meet enrollment and workforce goals.