The University of California will no longer require diversity statements for faculty applicants, the system’s provost, Katherine Newman, said in a letter Wednesday to campus provosts. The announcement comes as the Trump administration has threatened to withhold funding from universities that have programs or initiatives related to diversity,

The decision ends a UC practice requiring job applicants to submit written testimonials about how they have worked to enhance diversity.

UC President Michael V. Drake announced the decision to implement the freeze as an effort to manage costs and conserve funds as the school faces funding reductions at both the state and federal levels.