Trump Administration Proposes Elimination of Afterschool Funding, Impacting Vulnerable Students
The Trump administration has proposed a budget that aims to eliminate federal funding for before-school, afterschool, and summer programs for underserved and low-income students. This proposal is part of a broader budget plan that would significantly reduce the educational safety net for millions of vulnerable children in the United States. The administration targets the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) grant, which is currently funded at $1.329 billion and serves as the only dedicated federal funding stream for out-of-school time support. The proposed budget for fiscal year 2027 seeks to completely cut this funding, along with 16 other Education Department grant programs. In place of these cuts, the administration proposes a 'Make Education Great Again' (MEGA) block grant of $2 billion, which offers significantly less funding with fewer regulated uses. 
