The Trump administration informed state and local schools that it was withholding nearly $7 billion in federal funding on Monday.
In messages sent to state education officials on Monday, the U.S. Department of Education said “decisions have not yet been made concerning submissions and awards for this upcoming year.” The funding, already appropriated by Congress and approved by President Donald Trump in March, was expected to be available on Tuesday, July 1.
The funds in question include five different grants which largely fund summer and after-school programs that serve millions of students across the country. Of the $6.8 billion halted, the programs impacted include $375 million for migrant education, $2.2 billion for professional development, $890 million for English-learner services, $1.3 billion for academic enrichment and $1.4 billion for before- and after-school programs.
National Education Association President Becky Pringle called the move to block the funding is “shocking, but not surprising.”
“Withholding billions in promised federal education funding that students need—and states had planned to use to support children in their states—is a cruel betrayal of students, especially those who rely on critical support services,” Pringle said. “Schools are already grappling with severe teacher shortages, burnout, and under-resourced classrooms, and here comes the federal government ripping resources away from public schools. It is outrageous and unconscionable.”
Tony Carrk, executive director of watchdog group Accountable.US called the funding freeze an “all-out betrayal of working families.”
“Trump’s education funding freeze will shutter after-school programs, rob classrooms of resources, and set students struggling with years of learning loss back even further,” Carrk said. “It’s an all-out betrayal of working families who rely on access to public education for a fair shot at the American dream.”
Trump’s FY 2026 budget proposal highlighted the administration’s plans to target these programs. In the prospective budget, they have been fully eliminated. According to the Learning Policy Institute, all states and territories can expect to feel the brunt of the funding loss. In at least 17 states and territories, the funds account for 15 percent or more of their overall K-12 school funding.
The Trump administration has made its intent to scale back the federal government’s role in education known, starting with plans to fully dismantle the Department of Education.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., criticized the administration’s decision to yank the funding that Trump had approved.
“President Trump himself signed this funding into law—but that isn’t stopping him from choking off resources to support before and after school programs, help students learn, support teachers in the classroom, and a lot more,” Murray said in a statement.
In a post on X, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said this is a “huge crisis” made worse by the recent Supreme Court decision on national injunctions
“This is a CLEAR AS DAY violation of federal law. The appropriations law passed by Congress REQUIRES this money to be spent,” Murphy wrote.
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