Roseman University College of Medicine is expanding its race-based DEI initiative known as ASPIRE, directly defying recent federal directives. Despite new executive orders from President Trump and warnings from the Department of Education, the Nevada-based medical school is moving forward with its ideological programming funded by taxpayer dollars.
Launched in 2020, the ASPIRE program claims to diversify the physician workforce by targeting “underrepresented” students, beginning as early as elementary school. Roseman now plans to expand this initiative into North and West Las Vegas starting in 2025. The university promotes ASPIRE as a five-tiered system providing mentorship and career preparation, prioritizing students based on race and ethnicity.
This expansion runs counter to Executive Orders 14151 and 14173, issued by President Trump in January 2025. These orders bar federal agencies and grant recipients from engaging in DEI programming that promotes racial or ethnic preferences. The Department of Education reiterated this mandate in a February 2025 letter, warning that such programs may violate federal law and risk loss of funding.
Roseman University benefits heavily from federal funds. In the 2022–2023 academic year, nearly a quarter of its students received Pell Grants, averaging over $6,000. Another third received separate grant aid, and 79 percent used federal loans. The university also accepted nearly $900,000 in federal funding for its EMPOWERED maternal health project. Roseman’s dependence on federal financial aid puts it directly under the purview of these executive orders.
Despite this, Roseman appears committed to expanding its DEI agenda. The university’s leadership has not indicated any intent to comply with the federal guidance. The program remains centered on race-based selection and mentorship, with little emphasis on academic merit or skill-based criteria.
Critics argue such initiatives inject political ideology into science-based education and lower standards in medicine. Rather than focusing on patient care and academic excellence, the ASPIRE model channels resources into social engineering. The Biden-era DEI surge in medical schools continues to face backlash, but Roseman’s latest move shows that institutions may resist federal oversight in pursuit of ideological goals.
