Christian university with North Texas ties faces expansion delays amid USAID funding cuts

DALLAS - A Christian university with ties to North Texas says it will have to roll back a planned expansion due to cuts to foreign aid.

The Trump administration has been slashing USAID funding in an effort to cut government spending and further President Donald Trump’s "America First" agenda.

The university’s plans to expand its facilities in Uganda are now on hold as USAID has been the target of recent cuts.

The backstory:

Livingstone International University started as an idea between several churches and ministries, including several in North Texas. 

The idea became a reality when the university opened its doors to students in eastern Uganda in 2012. 

More than 10 years later, about 340 students are enrolled, and the university hopes to continue to grow.

What we know:

University co-chair Craig Stone explained the concept.

"We try to give people higher education skills, college degrees, in some cases, the equivalent of an associate's degree, and in other cases, the equivalent of a bachelor's," he explained.

The university also provides religious instruction. 

A portion of the funding comes from the U.S. Agency for International Development. 

A USAID grant was going to help partially fund an expansion of the campus until Stone says they received a notice of suspension from the federal government. 

"Obviously, it's somewhat disappointing," he said. "This is a multi-wing building that we're trying to build. Ultimately, we'd like it to be three wings. The grant was to cover about half the cost of the first two wings." 

What they're saying:

USAID has been a recent target of the Trump administration with efforts to cut the entire department and end funding. 

President Trump recently accused the agency of fraud and corruption in a post on Truth Social, that ended with, "Close it down!"

Stone has heard all the rhetoric, but he also knows the impact the university has on the students it serves, thanks in part to U.S. funding.

"When you give someone a college education and turn them loose into that small but growing economy, you're talking about the ability to take not just that one person, but an entire family out of poverty," he said.

Stone hopes during the 90-day suspension, the federal government will review their case and allow them to continue as planned with the funds. But if the money doesn’t come, Stone says they will find a way to move forward. 

"We believe God is behind what we're doing, and we believe, ultimately, we'll get it done," he said. "It may not be on the original timetable, but we believe we will get it done." 

Dig deeper:

The university was actually awarded a USAID grant for the expansion during Trump’s first term, but COVID prevented construction from starting. 

Stone says when the expansion project was back on the table in 2024, the grant was going to cover a portion of the roughly $2.5 million project. 

The university planned to break ground on the project in April. The new wings will allow room for more classrooms and office space.