Former President Barack Obama’s name was temporarily removed from one of Arizona State University’s scholarship programs this week, with little explanation from the university.
The program provides students from low-income families with financial aid for tuition, fees and some housing costs. The short-lived change, first reported by Axios, altered the title from the “President Barack Obama Scholars Program” to the “ASU Promise Plus” program. Obama's name was later added back on the school’s website.
The program was named after Obama in 2009 in response to the then-president’s call for the U.S. to boost its share of college graduates. The president was recognized at the university's commencement ceremony that same year, and served as the commencement speaker.
“Our mission coincides with the education goals enunciated by President Obama,” ASU President Michael Crow said in a statement at the time. “To remain globally competitive the United States must vastly increase the number of college graduates it produces and the biggest obstacle to college attendance in America is not lack of academic ability but rather insufficient family income.”
ASU spokesperson Jerry Gonzalez confirmed that the Obama Scholars Program still existed, but did not explain why the name was originally changed.
“ASU continues to have Obama Scholars,” Gonzalez said in an email. “It is one set of scholarships offered as part of a larger portfolio called the ASU Advantage Program. ASU has not changed its investment in students.”
The scholarship program is funded through a combination of gift aid, federal work-study funding, grants and scholarships from ASU and other outside sources, according to Gonzalez. Currently, students who are Arizona residents and come from families making $42,200 or less in annual family income are eligible for the program.
The Obama Foundation did not respond to a request for comment about the temporary name change.
The temporary change comes at a point where the Trump administration has increasingly sought to influence American universities. When President Donald Trump began his second term, he accused universities of favoring progressive politics and being out of touch with everyday Americans.
More recently, ASU was chosen as one of a select groups of universities to take part in the Foundry School, a collaborative effort between the federal government and eight universities to strengthen the country’s manufacturing industries. Alongside other public and private institutions, ASU will host a seminar to encourage more students to pursue manufacturing careers.
But ASU has also been the subject of multiple federal investigations in the last few years, including one in June that alleged the university was supporting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. ASU has denied allegations of wrongdoing from the federal government, saying it supports all of its students fairly.
Crow has shown support for some of the Trump administration's plans to improve the American higher education system. Education Secretary Linda McMahon encouraged universities in August to publish statements backing academic rigor, affordability and viewpoint diversity in hopes of regaining public trust.
Crow said the invitation was “an important moment in the effort to ensure that universities continue to be responsive to the education and research needs of our nation.”
Federal dollars account for more of the university's budget than state-level funding. Roughly $564 million came from federal sources in 2025. ASU’s total operating revenue was $4.8 billion that same fiscal year.
Helen Rummel covers state politics and higher education for The Arizona Republic. Reach her at hrummel@azcentral.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @helenrummel.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ASU removes, then restores, Barack Obama’s name on scholarship
