July 13, 2025

The entrance of the U.S. Department of Education headquarters in Washington, D.C.J. David Ake/Getty Images

Hi all! NPR’s Sequoia Carrillo here to fill you in on some education updates. Last week the Trump administration notified states that it was withholding over $6 billion in previously approved federal education grants to schools. The announcement came a day before the July 1 deadline when those funds have traditionally been disbursed.

The announcement was unprecedented, but not unexpected. There was chatter in the lead up to the deadline that the funds weren’t coming, some superintendents were already trying to rework their budgets to fit the hole. Others, like Alberto Carvalho, superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, spoke out after the announcement to discuss the ways the lack of funding will impact his district and districts around the country.

In the week since the administration’s announcement, legislators have also spoken up to demand a timeline. Colorado’s Democratic delegation from both the House and the Senate sent a letter to U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon.

“School districts throughout Colorado are depending on these funds to deliver critical services to students across the state,” wrote the lawmakers. “The delay and uncertainty around the distribution of this funding have made it incredibly difficult for school districts to plan and hire staff for the next school year.”

U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly of U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton, both Democrats of Arizona, also sent a letter, highlighting that schools in their state start the year earlier than others in the country – one district starts July 16th. The timing of this move, they wrote, is particularly “impossible” for Arizona schools.

Both letters sought assurance that these funds would be dispersed by the start of the new school year, but so far there has been no public response from the department.
On Friday, 150 Democrats in the House of Representatives sent a similar letter urging that the funding be released.

In its message to state officials, the Education Department said it "remains committed to ensuring taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the President's priorities and the Department's statutory responsibilities."

We’ll keep you updated! You can read our full story here.

— Sequoia Carrillo, Reporter, NPR Ed

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In other news...

1. Two Catholic colleges in Iowa are merging to reduce costs, expand offerings.
Some religious colleges and universities in the U.S. are in trouble and are cutting programs. Others are seeking mergers to reduce costs and expand offerings. Listen to the story.

— Elissa Nadworny, Education Correspondent, NPR

2. UPenn updates swimming records to settle with feds on transgender athletes case. The U.S. Education Department and Penn announced the voluntary agreement of the high-profile case that focused on Lia Thomas, who last competed for the Ivy League school in 2022. Read the story.

— From The Associated Press

3. Federal investigation finds Harvard violated civil rights law. The Trump administration has issued a notice of violation accusing Harvard University of "deliberate indifference" toward Jewish and Israeli students. Read the story.

— Elissa Nadworny, Education Correspondent, NPR

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And here's something to make you smile...

Jamilah McBryde works up a sweat to cut weight in preparation for the 2025 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Women's Wrestling National Championship, hosted in Wichita, Kan., in March.Geoff Stellfox for NPR

How 3 Muslim sisters helped change the rules of American women's wrestling

Jamilah, Zaynah and Latifah McBryde never expected to become college athletes, much less change the rules of American women's wrestling. The sisters are devout Muslims who were homeschooled and grew up wrestling one another in Buffalo, N.Y.

"We always said we would never be able to wrestle in college," said Jamilah, 22.

Coaches recognized their talent when they were teenagers, but they couldn't wrestle with boys, nor could they wear the required wrestling singlet — due to their faith. Eventually their passion for the sport – and their perseverance – led to rule changes allowing Muslim women to compete in full-body uniforms at collegiate and national levels. Read the story here.

As always, thank you for reading and listening!

— The NPR Education Team

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