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.