India, Feb. 7 -- For 50 years, UC Berkeley has placed advisors in East Bay middle and high schools, where they've helped students develop life skills, learn about college and navigate financial aid opportunities. The program has been a driver of social mobility, especially for lower-income, first-generation students who might not otherwise know their options.

But in September, officials in Washington canceled the $836,000 annual grant for Berkeley's Educational Talent Search program.

Now, college advisors who should be holding application workshops and arranging campus visits are instead saying goodbye to the 1,507 students who rely on the program.

"It was painful. It was shocking. It was a gut punch," said Yvette Flores, Berkeley's as...