Maryland’s school mental health programs have won a temporary reprieve from a federal funding cut that threatened more than $3 million for training and services. A federal judge’s order keeps the money flowing for now, but the clock is already ticking toward an August deadline.
As reported by WBAL NewsRadio, the U.S. District Court order blocks the Department of Education from cutting school-based mental health grants. The temporary order expires August 24, leaving Maryland and its coalition partners with a short window to seek a longer-term resolution.
The ruling is the latest turn in a legal fight that began after the Education Department moved to terminate congressionally approved grants, saying they conflicted with the Trump administration’s priorities. WTOP reported that an earlier court ruling found the grant cancellations unlawful and barred the administration from carrying them out through other means.
Two Maryland Universities Were Facing Millions In Losses
The immediate stakes are concentrated at Bowie State University and the University of Maryland, Baltimore. According to the Maryland Attorney General’s Office, Bowie State was warned that losing more than $1.6 million could end its Ujima Center for School Counseling Scholars, which has enrolled 46 graduate students who train while serving high-need schools.
UMB faced the potential loss of nearly $1.8 million for a school-based mental health fellowship. The program has placed 82 fellows in roughly 50 schools over the past two years, creating a pipeline for counselors and other mental health professionals in districts where the need is especially acute.
Maryland is also putting state money behind student behavioral health. A June announcement from the Office of Governor Wes Moore said the state awarded $96.3 million for services expected to reach about 200,000 children during the 2026-27 school year, with grants already serving 84% of Maryland schools.
The Funding Fight Is Not Over Yet
That state investment offers a measure of support, but it is not a substitute for the federal grants now at the center of the lawsuit. The legal challenge alleges that the Education Department violated the Administrative Procedure Act and the Constitution by terminating funding that Congress approved.
The new order follows a previous court block in the same broader dispute. For Maryland universities and the schools that rely on their counselors, August 24 is the next major date in a fight that has already produced multiple courtroom victories but no permanent funding certainty.
