Maine Sen. Susan Collins (R) announced Friday that the Trump Administration has agreed to release the rest of Maine’s public education grant funding that had been held earlier this month by the Department of Education (DOE).
The state will now be receiving about $28 million in federal public education grant funding for a variety of programs as part of a roughly $5 billion distribution nationwide.
Earlier this month, the Trump Administration delayed distributing $6.8 billion worth of federal funding nationwide for certain education programs, reviewing previously approved grants instead of sending the funds to states on July 1 as originally scheduled.
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.
[RELATED: Trump Administration Releases $1.3 Billion in Federal Funding for After-School Programming]
This past Monday, the DOE distributed $1.3 billion for after school programming that had originally been held, but the remainder of the $6.8 billion worth of frozen funding was still being held by the government.
The $1.3 billion released first came under Title IV-B and goes toward before- and after-school programs, particularly in “high-poverty and low-performing schools.”
Other programs impacted by the freeze were said to 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 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.
“Decisions have not been made concerning submissions and awards for this upcoming academic year,” the email announcing the funding freeze on June 30 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.”
President Donald Trump (R) had previously flagged all five of these programs for cuts or elimination in his so-called “Skinny Budget” for fiscal year 2026.
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).
Shortly after this $6.8 billion freeze was announced, a group of ten Congressional Republicans, including Sen. Collins, sent a letter to the White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) urging for this money to be released.
“We share your concern about taxpayer money going to fund radical left-wing programs,” the senators wrote. “However, we do not believe that is happening with these funds.”
“The decision to withhold this funding is contrary to President Trump’s goal of returning K-12 education to the states,” the senators continued. “This funding goes directly to states and local school districts, where local leaders decide how this funding is spent, because as we know, local communities know how to best serve students and families.”
Click Here to Read the Senators’ Full Letter
Collins released a statement this past Friday announcing that Maine would be receiving the entirety of the $28 million worth of federal public education funding that it had been expecting on July 1.
“These formula funds are essential to the operation of Maine’s public schools, supporting everything from classroom instruction to adult education,” said Collins.
“I am pleased that following outreach from my colleagues and me, the Administration has agreed to release these highly-anticipated resources,” she said. “I will continue working to ensure that education funds are delivered without delay so that schools have adequate time to plan their finances for the upcoming school year, allowing students to arrive back to class this fall to properly-funded schools.”
