Campaigners demanding the U.S. maintain the amount it invests in basic global education, despite the demise of USAID, have pledged to carry on their fight after the U.S. Congress approved a 20% cut for the next fiscal year on Tuesday.
Still, multilateral global education partners were pleasantly surprised by figures published in a House of Representatives bill, which suggested the proportion allocated to them would not change.
The financial year 2026 Appropriations Bill for National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs includes $737.6 million for the Nita M. Lowey Basic Education Fund — a dedicated U.S. federal funding stream for international basic education, established through bipartisan legislation — of which at least $152 million is earmarked for multilateral partnerships supporting global education.
About the author
Gabriella Jóźwiak@GabriellaJ
Gabriella Jóźwiak is an award-winning journalist based in London. Her work on issues and policies affecting children and young people in developing countries and the U.K. has been published in national newspapers and magazines. Having worked in-house for domestic and international development charities, Jóźwiak has a keen interest in organizational development, and has worked as a journalist in several countries across West Africa and South America.
