Trump’s Funding Delay Will Devastate Adult Literacy Programs

The U.S. Department of Education’s (ED’s) decision to withhold more than $6 billion in grants from six federal programs that the law requires it to distribute to states on July 1 is sowing chaos among public schools just as they are preparing for students to return to their classrooms. If the delay persists, many school districts will have to lay off teachers, shut down after-school programs parents rely on, and end or curtail important programs and services. The unexpected loss of federal funds will have a powerful impact in K-12 education. But for the adult education and literacy system that educated 1.3 million learners last year, ED’s refusal to distribute Adult Education and Family Literacy Act funds (AEFLA) is an existential threat.

Overall, the federal government contributes about 8 percent of U.S. spending on K-12 education, though its contribution to supporting special programs and services for vulnerable populations like English learners, migrant students, and students with disabilities is considerably higher than that. For educational programs for adults who do not have a high school credential or who are English learners, however, the federal government provides an average of about 39 percent of the cost of the services, according to a survey by ED’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES). The 2,061 community colleges, school districts, and community-based organizations that received AEFLA funds last year have few other resources they can use to support these populations while the Trump Administration withholds funds.

That 39 percent average federal funding share of adult education masks great variation in state spending. In a majority of states (37), AEFLA provides more than 50 percent of the cost of adult education. AEFLA contributes 70 to 75 percent of the cost of adult education services in 12 states: Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. The impact of Trump’s refusal to send states their AEFLA grants will be felt most immediately and painfully in these states.

Some providers will not be able to survive without AEFLA funds. Those that are able to stay afloat will have to lay off many of the 60,000 teachers, counselors, and other staff who delivered adult education services last year. There is not much else they can cut. According to the IES survey, about 50 cents of every dollar spent by adult education providers is used to pay classroom instructors. Another 29 cents is used to pay counselors and other staff.

The system was already straining to meet the demand for adult education instruction. More than one-quarter of providers reported in the IES survey that they had turned away at least one learner in the prior year because they lacked the capacity to serve them. About a third of providers had a waiting list for at least one of their programs.

The loss of these services will shut the door on opportunities for more than one-million learners who sought to earn a GED or learn English last year. They miss out on time with their families, work fewer hours and earn less, and lose sleep to study for important reasons, like getting a better-paying job. Helping children with their homework. Passing the citizenship exam. Joining the military. Pursuing a longtime dream to go to college. What they are pursuing is so difficult to achieve, and President Trump is trying to make it a lot harder.

As noted above, the funding delay impacts six federal programs that affect public education across the country. To read about the impact of the Trump Administration holding back funding for the five federal programs that support K-12 schools, see “A District-by-District Accounting of the $6.2 Billion the U.S. Department of Education Has Held Back from Schools.”