Trump admin releases $6B in frozen education funds after leftist misuse concerns
The Trump administration has decided to release nearly $6 billion in frozen education funds after reviewing concerns that the money was being misused to support a 'radical leftwing agenda.'
ABC News obtained a letter sent by the Department of Education notifying states that the funds would begin to be released starting the week of July 28.
The Trump administration has decided to release nearly $6 billion in frozen education funds after reviewing concerns that the money was being misused to support a “radical leftwing agenda.”
A Department of Education spokesperson confirmed the release on Friday. The freeze had affected programs including English language acquisition, teacher development, and adult education, according to ABC News.
The outler obtained a letter sent by the Department of Education notifying states that the funds would begin to be released starting the week of July 28.
“We want to make sure that we have the right focus on what we’re trying to do with our students,” said Education Secretary Linda McMahon.
Last month, more than 20 Democrat-led states sued the Trump administration for freezing the federal education grants. In response, the administration argued the grants were used to support an agenda rather than American students.
“Many of these grant programs have been grossly misused to subsidize a radical leftwing agenda,” the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) stated, according to AP.
On July 16, a group of Republican senators sent a letter to OMB Director Russell Vought urging him to release the funds. The senators contended that withholding the funds would harm students and local economies.
“This funding goes directly to states and local school districts, where local leaders decide how this funding is spent,” the senators wrote. “Withholding this funding denies states and communities the opportunity to pursue localized initiatives to support students and their families.”
The lawmakers also argued that the grants support a wide range of bipartisan programs.
“These students are often adults seeking second chances,” the senators added. “We should be making educational opportunities easier for these students, not harder.”
Throughout this year, the federal government has frozen billions of dollars in funding to schools such as Brown University ($510 million), Cornell University ($1 billion), Northwestern University ($790 million), and Duke University ($108 million).
In April, the Trump administration froze $2.2 billion in federal grants to Harvard after the university rejected demands to roll back its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, citing alleged violations of civil rights law.
“Harvard has in recent years failed to live up to both the intellectual and civil rights conditions that justify federal investment,” the Trump administration stated at the time.
Campus Reform has contacted the Department of Education for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
