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. But in September, officials in Washington canceled the $836,000 annual grant for Berkeley’s Educational Talent Search program. “It was painful. It was shocking. It was a gut punch,” said Yvette Flores, Berkeley’s assistant vice chancellor for educational partnerships, who oversees the Center for Educational Partnerships, which houses the 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. Under the umbrella of the national TRIO program designed to identify and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, the work Berkeley’s college advisors do to develop curricula and help students go on to fulfilling careers has been a model for others, said Claud...