The Trump Administration released funding proposals for fiscal year (FY) 2026 calling for cuts of over 15% to education with more than half the cut being $12.35 billion in K-12 programs, and $4.3 billion of cuts in post-secondary education.
Additional cuts are made in CTE/Adult and smaller programs including $532 million in cuts at the Institute of Education Sciences. 18 elementary and secondary education programs are proposed to be consolidated into one new program with a $4.5 billion (69%) reduction in funding.
Key points: U.S. Dept. of Education (ED) funding is cut by $12.4 billion (15.6%), to $66.7 billion. This is a deep cut. Last summer, the House Appropriations Committee wrote but the House never voted on a Labor, HHS Education bill for FY 2025 that cut ED funding to $67.9 billion. Congress didn’t make that cut for FY 2025. The Administration is calling for that cut now for FY 2026, which begins Oct. 1.
- Individuals with Disabilities Education Act funding (IDEA): All current special education funding would be consolidated into a new “Special Education Simplified Funding program,” freezing total special education funding at current levels.
The budget maintains grants for infants and toddlers and Special Olympics as separate programs. All other special education programs will be consolidated in main state grants.
Please note: According to the President’s budget proposal, IDEA/special education is not moved to the Department of Health & Human Services.
- Title I: The main Title I grant is level funded but other Title I programs that support literacy and migrant students are eliminated. Overall, funding for Title I programs are cut by $701 million (4%). The proposed budget consolidates and cuts 18 K-12 programs into a new smaller $2 billion formula grant.
- Training: Eliminates all programs for training teachers and school leaders.
- Eliminates many student aid and institutional support programs, cutting funding for federal Work Study by $980 million (80%) and eliminates funding for many programs that support access to higher education. Cuts include:
- TRIO programs ($1.2 billion)
- Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants ($910 million)
- GEAR-UP ($388 million)
- Fund for the Improvement of Education (FIPSE) ($171 million and the earmarks funded there in FY 2024)
- Strengthening Institutions ($112 million)
- International education ($86 million)
- Child care means parents in school ($75 million)
- Teacher Quality Partnerships ($70 million)
- Hawkins Centers of Excellence ($15 million)
Program elimination: The Administration’s budget eliminates funding for migrant students, English Language Acquisition, adult education, homeless education, and student aid programs for low-income and first-generation students.
Compared to what was in the President’s preliminary “skinny” budget released in early May, there were some differences including:
- Eliminating the Rural Education program and putting its purposes in the new, much smaller consolidated grant. Given how many Republican members represent rural areas, it was expected that this program would continue as a stand-alone program.
- Freezes funding for Head Start in HHS – Counter to what was leaked last month about the Administration’s plans to eliminate Head Start, the budget continues funding at the FY 2024 level. The skinny budget made no mention of Head Start.
Charter Schools: $60 million increase for charter schools. This is the only education funding increase.
House and Senate FY 2026 Appropriations: The Administration’s FY 2026 budget for Education proposes cuts and consolidations.
House and Senate Appropriations Committees will begin work on FY 2026 Appropriations bills including Labor, Health and Human Services and Education bills in June and July, with work carrying into the Fall. It remains to be seen whether Congress will accept the cuts being proposed by the Administration.
PSE members should let their Representatives know what cuts to basic Title I and IDEA programs and the consolidation of IDEA and elimination of programs that serve students will mean in schools across Washington.
Secure Rural Schools Update:
Thanks to PSE members for working to build cosponsors to H.R. 1383 and S. 356, the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025.
The Secure Rural Schools program provides critical funding for schools, roads, and other municipal services to more than 700 counties across the U.S. SRS supports rural counties whose tax base is limited by the growing amount of Federal land.
The bill picked up new cosponsors this spring. Washington member sponsors now include:
Senators Patty Murray & Maria Cantwell [D-WA]
Rep. Suzan DelBene [D-WA-1]
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez [D-WA-3]
Rep. Michael Baumgartner [R-WA-5]
Rep. Kim Schrier [D-WA-8]
Rep. Marilyn Strickland [D-WA-10]