The Trump Administration has delayed distributing $6.8 billion worth of federal funding for certain education programs it is currently reviewing instead of sending those funds to states on July 1 as originally scheduled.
This move prompted swift push back from both Democrats and Republicans, including from the State of Maine.
Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) joined sixteen states in calling on Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to release this funding immediately.
Earlier this week, the State of Maine was listed as a co-plaintiff in a lawsuit against the Trump Administration alleging that the freeze is “contrary to law, arbitrary and capricious, and unconstitutional.”
Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins has also pushed back against the Trump Administration’s decision to delay the release of these funds, joining a group of other Republican lawmakers opposing the move.
Although Congress voted in March to extend the prior year’s funding levels government-wide for the next fiscal year, an email sent by the Department of Education (DOE) on June 30 outlined several public education programs that would not be receiving funding in accordance with the expected timeline, according to reporting from EdWeek.
Impacted programs include those that support the children of migrant agricultural workers under Title I-C, as well as those who are learning the English language under Title III-A, the article reads. The total value of funds frozen for this programs were $375 million and $890 million respectively.
$2.2 billion in Title II-A funding for professional development was also held, alongside $1.3 billion in Title IV-A funding for academic enrichment and $1.4 billion in Title IV-B funding for before- and after-school programs, particularly in “high-poverty and low-performing schools.”
“Decisions have not been made concerning submissions and awards for this upcoming academic year,” the email reportedly said. “Accordingly, the Department will not be issuing Grant Award Notifications obligating funds for these programs on July 1 prior to completing that review.”
All five of these programs had previously been flagged for cuts by President Donald Trump (R) in his so-called “Skinny Budget” for fiscal year 2026.
Although Title II-A, Title IV-A, and Title IV-B were not specifically identified in the proposed budget, they appear to be among the 18 programs that would be consolidated under the President’s effort to “streamline K-12 programs” that is accompanied by an estimated $4.5 billion spending reduction.
“This long-overdue consolidation would lower substantially the costs of both administration and compliance, and ensure that a greater proportion of the funds provides support for students and their families,” the President wrote. “The K-12 Simplified Funding Program consolidates 18 competitive and formula grant programs into a new $2 billion formula grant designed to reduce [the DOE’s] influence on schools and students and reduce bureaucracy.”
“The new approach allows States and districts to focus on the core subjects—math, reading, science, and history—without the distractions of DEI and weaponization from the previous administration,” he added.
The President points to Title III-A when proposing to “eliminate the misnamed English Language Acquisition program,” which he argues “actually deemphasizes English primacy by funding NGOs and States to encourage bilingualism.”
Title I-C also appears to be called out with proposed cuts to “Migrant Education and Special Programs for Migrant Students,” although this program in particular is not directly named.
“The Budget eliminates programs that work to the detriment of children’s academic success by encouraging movement from, rather than stability and consistency in, a single location,” Trump said.
These programs have not been proven effective, are extremely costly, and encourage ineligible non-citizens to access U.S. [institutes of higher education], stripping resources from American students,” he added.
Click Here to Read President Trump’s Proposed Budget for FY26
While Congress is still considering the President’s proposed cuts for FY26, the $6.8 billion worth of funding for these programs in the current fiscal year was already approved by lawmakers in March.
According to NPR, the DOE’s message to state officials said that the agency “remains committed to ensuring taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the President’s priorities and the Department’s statutory responsibilities.”
A spokesperson from the DOE has reportedly directed all questions regarding the held funding to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
Details have not been released regarding the timeline for reviewing the funding that has been withheld for the current fiscal year.
