The University of Maryland, College Park laid off 84 employees as it addressed budget shortfalls driven by federal and state funding cuts and rising energy costs, according to President Darryll Pines. UMD projected earlier that it might need to eliminate up to 150 jobs through layoffs, vacancy closures, and retirements, while signaling no additional layoffs for the fiscal 2027 cycle. Pines cited an estimated $15 million reduction in federal research funding and $18 million in increased energy costs, along with state support declining by more than 10%—about $104 million—across the 2025–2027 fiscal period. The layoffs were limited to state-funded positions. The move fits a wider austerity pattern across public universities as institutions face enrollment uncertainty, policy risk, and compounding operational costs.