The Department of Education’s Newest Broken Promise: Cutting Pandemic Relief Funding

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The Department of Education’s Newest Broken Promise: Cutting Pandemic Relief Funding

The Dept of Ed is taking back $3 billion in pandemic relief funding that Congress already promised to states. What’s at stake?

April 08, 2025 by EdTrust

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The U.S. Department of Education wants to return education to states. That’s a dangerous proposition and puts the country’s most vulnerable students at risk of losing civil rights protections, desperately needed funding for their schools, and key data about how schools are serving students. Now, the Department is clawing back $3 billion in pandemic funding that Congress had promised to states — that states already used on critical supports for students, including intensive tutoring and social emotional academic development.

The states that stand to lose the most funding for public schools — in total dollars — include Texas ($243 million), Pennsylvania ($230 million), and New York ($161 million). It’s equally, if not more important to understand what these cuts could mean in terms of supporting students. The states that stand to lose the most funding for public schools per student include the District of Columbia ($356), Mississippi ($255), Vermont ($221), and Maryland ($170).

The table below estimates the impact of this change for students in each state.

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