Yes. University endowments are all tied up in investments. This is necessary in order to grow the endowments and make them "permanent", since you need to replace what you spend with the interest you accumulate. However, it also introduces risk from unwise or unlucky investments.

If there is a substantial market correction, and the investments of Brown's endowment are substantially impacted, programs like this will be scaled back or eliminated. Brown will probably be unable to spend the money raised for this purpose on anything else though.

So in a theoretical case of a major recession this fund that exists to help pay for education wouldn't be available - at the time when it would be most needed for families. This is upside down.