The Trump administration has frozen more than $6 billion in federal grants for after-school and summer programs, English language instruction, adult literacy and other initiatives as part of a review to ensure the funding aligns with the White House's priorities. States and schools had expected the money to be released on July 1.
Summer school and after-school providers are warning that the funding freeze could lead to entire programs shutting down, including summer day camps that are currently running. The freeze could have wide-ranging impacts on students and families, who rely on these programs for child care during the school year and over the summer break, and on staff who rely on these jobs for their incomes. Every state has programs that could be affected.
Trump administration withholds over $6 billion for after-school, summer programs and more. Some education grants in limbo were used for 'leftwing agenda,' Trump administration says.
The Trump administration said it hadn't made any final decision on how much funding it would release for six programs appropriated by Congress. At risk are the following programs and funding amounts, nationally:
— $2.19 billion for Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants, which work to reduce class sizes and pay for professional development for educators
— $1.33 billion for 21st Century Community Learning Centers, which are before- and after-school programs that provide academic enrichment for students and are an important source of subsidized child care for working parents
— $1.38 billion for Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants, a flexible funding stream that pays for services including mental health, accelerated learning and college counseling
— $890 million for English Language Acquisition, used for English proficiency and language instruction
— $376 million for Migrant Education, funding that supports the needs of migratory children like those whose parents are seasonal and migrant farmworkers
— $715 million for Adult Basic Literacy Education State Grants, programs that support adult education and literacy
Federal education grants generally flow through multiple agencies before they reach classroom-based programs. Funding is allocated by the U.S. Education Department to individual states. Those states then allocate the funding to local education agencies, often through a competitive grant application process where districts and nonprofits submit project proposals for how they would use the money.
The best way to find which local programs are impacted is to reach out to your state education agency's federal grants and programs office, which will track how federal money is allocated. That office should be able to document which local organizations have received grant money. As a starting point, you can do a Google search for your state's education department and the phrase "federal grants" — for example, "Alabama State Department of Education federal grants."
Some programs have specific contacts. On 21st Century Community Learning Centers, for example, the U.S. Education Department maintains a list of each state agency's point of contact. On each state's site, the most recent grant recipients are often listed. Those recipients will likely be significantly affected by the funding freeze and would be a good place to begin your reporting.
Some states, depending on their budgets, may be able to make up the funding shortfalls and minimize impacts to ongoing and soon-to-begin programming. Other programs may use this funding as a small part of their budget, which would mean they are less impacted. However, some programs rely on federal funding for a majority of their budget and would be at risk of shutting down. For example, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America depend on some of the withheld money to run camps and other summer programming for low-income students. If funding isn't restored soon, the programming may end mid-season, said Boys and Girls Club President Jim Clark.
The Learning Policy Institute has estimates of how much funding could be impacted by state. However, some states believe the impact would be even higher. (AP has generally used the more conservative estimate in our stories.) You can download the data into PDF format by clicking the link below the table in the middle of the page.
Could summer school programs going on right now be cut because of this funding freeze? What about programs that are slated to kick off next school year?
— Is there a possibility of staff layoffs if funds continue to be frozen?
— If funds are cut, what are your alternative sources of money? What programs are highest priority for you to try to continue and find alternative funding for?
— Will this affect class sizes? What about programs designed to boost student outcomes? What children will be most affected or have the most to lose?
— How does this freeze impact rural schools and schools with high numbers of migrant or low-income students in particular? What other at-risk student groups could be affected by the changes?
— What is the larger economic impact for the community if after-school programs are cut? For example, if afterschool is cut, working families might struggle to find affordable childcare. If there are lay-offs, then it means people are losing jobs.
— What alternatives do children have if these programs are taken away? What will they do with their time, and what are their options for any academic enrichment, mental health supports or language instruction they were getting through the programs? What kinds of risky activities might they engage in without after-school or summer supervision? What are the consequences of having that enrichment cut short?
— How are parents and families navigating the prospect of program cuts, especially for summer and after-school programs that often double as child care?