Signed, Sealed… Undelivered: What a Federal Grant Pause Means for the Digital Divide in U.S. Schools
Wednesday, July 23, 2025
Digital Beat
Signed, Sealed… Undelivered:
What Federal Grant Pause Means for the Digital Divide in U.S. Schools
A last-minute decision to withhold critical education funding has left states and districts scrambling just weeks before students return to school.
On Monday, June 30, the U.S. Department of Education notified states that it was withholding over $6 billion in previously approved federal education grants. In the message pausing the distribution of the grants—which should have been available to states on July 1—the Department wrote, "Given the change in Administrations, the Department is reviewing the FY 2025 funding for the [Title I-C, II-A, III-A, IV-A, IV-B] grant program(s), and decisions have not yet been made concerning submissions and awards for this upcoming year." Notably, the funding was committed in the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act of 2025 (H.R.1968), which President Donald Trump signed into law on March 15, 2025.
The five paused grants provide a variety of support to states, districts, and schools, and, combined, make up at least 10 percent of federal K-12 funding for every state in the U.S. Four of the five grants—Title I-C, Title III-A, Title IV-A, and Title IV-B—were specifically highlighted in a 2023 Dear Colleague letter and the 2024 National Education Technology Plan (NETP) as potential funding sources to support digital learning for better student outcomes. Both the 2023 Dear Colleague Letter and the 2024 National Education Technology Plan came from the Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology, which was eliminated in March 2025 as part of a federal reduction-in-force.
After weeks of widespread and bipartisan outcry, including letters from Congressional Democrats and Republicans and a 24-state lawsuit, the Administration backed down—partially. On July 18, Sen Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), who led the Republican letter demanding the funds be released, announced that Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought told her one of the grants, Title IV, Part B, would be released.
What is Title IV, Part B?
The Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers program was authorized by Title IV, Part B of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act of 20151. The program was designed to create community learning centers that provide after-hours academic enrichment for students, particularly those who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools.
The before- and after-school programs funded by 21st Century Community Learning Centers grants provide a variety of supports to students and families. The 2016 Iowa Afterschool State Evaluation Report describes some of the support one program offers to parents and caregivers, including two levels of computer literacy classes.
“There are two levels of computer classes, basic and intermediate. They learn to turn computer[s] off and on, open documents, use the internet, and type. In intermediate, they learn to use email. One-on-one tutoring is offered to all levels.”
In 2020, after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic closed schools and after-school programs, 21st Century Community Learning Center grantees in Iowa helped connect families to the internet connectivity and devices they needed to learn from home.
Following the announcement that the 21st Century Community Learning Center funds would be released, Sen Capito said,
21st Century Community Learning Centers offer important services that many West Virginians rely on. This program supports states in providing quality after-school and summer learning programs for students while enabling their parents to work and contribute to local economies. We should be supporting education opportunities like these. I made this clear to OMB Director Vought and was glad he followed through on my request to release these critical funds.
On the other side of the aisle, Sen Patty Murray (D-WA) demanded that all of the funds be released and raised concerns that the Trump Administration would impound the remaining funding. She said, “[...] the funding streams President Trump is still holding up—all of which are programs President Trump has requested to eliminate in his budget request, raising serious concerns about this administration’s intentions to simply impound the funding.”
The Remaining Grants: What Are They, and Why Do They Matter?
Migrant Education Program
The Migrant Education Program (MEP) is authorized by Title I, Part C of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended. The national goals of the MEP are to:
- Assist States in supporting high-quality and comprehensive educational programs and services during the school year and, as applicable, during the summer or intersession periods that address the unique educational needs of migratory children.
- Ensure that migratory children who move among the States are not penalized in any manner by disparities among the States in curriculum, graduation requirements, and State academic content and student academic achievement standards.
- Ensure that migratory children receive full and appropriate opportunities to meet the same challenging State academic standards that all children are expected to meet.
- Help migratory children overcome educational disruption, cultural and language barriers, social isolation, various health-related problems, and other factors that inhibit the ability of such children to succeed in school.
- Help migratory children benefit from State and local systemic reforms. (Section 1301 of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESEA), as amended).
As of July 2025, the MEP is still included in a database of Federal Broadband Funding Opportunities housed on the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Broadband USA website. The database lists “Digital Inclusion (e.g. Broadband Adoption, Devices, Public Access, Digital Skills Training, Tech Support)” as broadband-related activities eligible for funding through the grant.
Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants
The Digital Design Divide is between and within those systems that provide every educator the time and support they need to build their capacities to design learning experiences with digital tools, and those that do not. - 2024 National Educational Technology Plan
Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants were authorized by Title II, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended. The program was designed to provide grants to State Educational Agencies to improve student achievement by increasing the number of effective teachers, principals, and other school personnel.
The Supporting Effective Instruction grants are commonly used to support professional development, a critical component of educators' work that allows them to stay up to date on best practices and instruction strategies. Effective professional development can play a crucial role in closing the digital design divide identified in the 2024 NETP.
English Language Acquisition State Grants
The English Language Acquisition State Grants were authorized by Title III, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended. The program is designed to improve the education of English Learners by helping them learn English and meet state academic content and student achievement standards. The program also provides “enhanced instructional opportunities for immigrant children and youth.”
The program is listed in the Federal Broadband Funding Opportunities database, which lists “Digital Inclusion (e.g. Broadband Adoption, Devices, Public Access, Digital Skills Training, Tech Support)” as broadband-related activities eligible for funding through the grant.
Student Support and Academic Enrichment Program
The Student Support and Academic Enrichment Program (SSAE) was authorized by Title IV, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015. The program is “intended to improve students’ academic achievement by increasing the capacity of states, local education agencies, schools, and local communities to
- provide all students with access to a well-rounded education,
- improve school conditions for student learning, and
- improve the use of technology in order to improve the academic achievement and digital literacy of all students.”
Priority content areas for the program, as laid out by the Title IV-A Technical Assistance Center, include:
- Promoting professional learning for educators
- Building technological capacity and infrastructure
- Developing or using effective or innovative strategies for the delivery of academic content through the use of technology
- Providing students in rural, remote, and underserved areas expanded access to educational opportunities through the use of technology
Title IV, Part A programs were highlighted in the 2023 Dear Colleague Letter, as well as in the 2024 NETP.
What's Next?
As of July 15, 24 states and the District of Columbia are suing the U.S. Department of Education, Secretary Linda McMahon, OMB Director Russell Vought, President Trump, and the United States to release all of the funds.
However, as noted in Sen. Murray’s press release, President Trump has already requested to eliminate all five of the paused grants in his 2026 budget request. The President has also directed the Secretary of Education “to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law, take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education.” The Supreme Court recently allowed the Administration to move ahead with the dismissal of over 1,300 Department of Education employees, in a move policymakers and advocates say will hobble the department and harm students.
Notes
1. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 is a law that replaced the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). ESSA shifted some federal education oversight to the states, allowing them to develop their own accountability systems and performance standards. The law emphasizes college and career readiness, requires states to measure student progress in reading, math, and science, and mandates that states provide clear information to parents about school performance.
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