ICYMI: Congresswoman Simon Secures Over $1 MILLION in Federal Funding for Samuel Merritt University’s New Downtown Oakland Campus

OAKLAND, CA - Congresswoman Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12) recently announced a $1,031,000 Community Project Funding (CPF) Grant for Samuel Merritt's (SMU) new Downtown Oakland campus. This funding will be used to purchase next-generation research equipment, ensuring students at SMU have the highest-quality learning experience and are equipped in the classroom to become the next generation of health professionals in the Bay Area. Congresswoman Simon presented this funding to SMU President Ching-Hua Wang at the grand opening of SMU's new campus in January 2026.

This CPF funding is a part of the $11.2 million dollars that Congresswoman Simon secured for 15 projects across the East Bay. Each fiscal year, members of Congress can submit Community Project Funding requests for consideration with the House Committee on Appropriations. You can read about the 15 projects that Congresswoman Simon secured funding for in her first year here.

"In my first term in Congress, I am proud to have secured over $11 million dollars in Community Project Funding for our district, including over $1 million to support the purchase of research equipment Samuel Merritt University's new Downtown Oakland campus," said Congresswoman Simon. "I am committed to fighting for federal funding that advances our city, invests in opportunity, and says YES to great health care and education. I look forward to working closely with SMU to ensure that this project is efficiently and quickly executed so constituents can benefit."

"We are incredibly thankful to Congresswoman Simon for championing this Community Project Funding for our new SMU Oakland campus," said SMU President Wang. "This federal investment supports the purchase of state-of-the-art instructional equipment, directly enhancing learning environments that prepare students to serve communities across the region. It is a powerful example of what is possible when public leadership aligns with community-centered higher education."

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