FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: media@edtrust.org
Date: July 25, 2025

Statement from EdTrust Vice President Allison Socol on the Release of Withheld Federal Education Funds
“This is a win for students, but the Great American Heist isn’t over.”

WASHINGTON – “The Trump administration’s announcement that it will release more than $5 billion in previously — and illegally — withheld education funding is a major victory for students, families, and advocates across the country. This comes on the heels of the administration’s recent decision to release $1.3 billion in funding for summer enrichment programs that had also been wrongfully impounded.

“Parents, families, students, school leaders, education advocates, and Democratic and Republican lawmakers demanded that the administration follow the law and release the funds Congress appropriated. This victory belongs to them.

“But to be clear, this funding should never have been held hostage in the first place. President Trump and Secretary McMahon have treated America’s students like unwitting characters in their TV show. It took an overwhelming wave of bipartisan and public pressure to get them to do what the law requires. And even still, we wait to see if these funds will be conditioned on the exclusion of undocumented children or other children who are the target of this administration.

“And while some funding is being restored today, the president’s proposed budget would cut additional education investments and eliminate crucial programs altogether. It is imperative that these critical investments be protected in the forthcoming federal budget this fall, and that the president’s deeply harmful proposed budget be rejected.

“For some, this relief comes too late. Programs have already been canceled. Educators have already lost their jobs. Students have already missed out on opportunities they need and deserve.

“The damage doesn’t stop here. The administration will still be moving forward with implementing an immoral wealth transfer from public schools to private institutions through an uncapped voucher tax credit that favors wealthy families. What’s more, the draconian cuts to Medicaid and SNAP will devastate working-class families.

“The Great American Heist is not only about the misuse of public dollars — it’s about an ongoing, deliberate attempt to dismantle public education as we know it. Today’s announcement, while welcome, is proof that we can win — but it does not mark the end of the fight.

“EdTrust will not pause. We will continue to advance a bold vision for public education, one where investments are increased, civil rights are protected, privatization is rejected, and opportunity is expanded for low-income students and students of color in every zip code and at every level of education.”

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