Federal funds for adult education services were among those blocked by the Trump administration on July 1, causing immediate cuts to Alaska adult education and workforce development programs and staff layoffs.

The U.S. Department of Education withheld more than $6 billion in congressionally approved grants for education nationwide, including over $629 million for adult education basic grants, and more than $85 million in adult integrated English literacy and civics education grants.

The Trump administration confirmed July 18 that it’s releasing some of the money, but only those funds that support before- and after-school programs as well as summer programs — about 20%of the $6.8 billion in withheld funds for K-12 schools that were supposed to be sent out three weeks ago.

The administration had said it was withholding the package of federal funding to review the grant programs to ensure they align with the Republican president’s priorities.

The adult education programs without funding can range from classes that help adults learn basic literacy to programs that assist students in gaining certificates equivalent to high school diplomas and can teach skills that are essential to performing certain jobs.

Alaska had over $1.1 million allocated as part of an adult education basic grant, according to the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, which administers the grants.

The withheld funds mean immediate cuts to services for Alaska adult learners and staff layoffs, according to grant recipients.

“We were definitely blindsided,” said Lucie Magrath, executive director of the Literacy Council of Alaska, a Fairbanks-based nonprofit that provides adult education programs, including adult literacy, English language learning, civics and General Educational Development, or GED, preparation classes.

Magrath said an estimated $180,000 in federal funding, or over half of their budget, was impounded, causing immediate cuts to services and staff layoffs.

“We are having to make some pretty drastic decisions with staffing and programming,” she said in a phone interview. “We likely will not be able to serve nearly as many people this year, and we’re making staffing cuts right now.”

The organization provides in-person and virtual instruction and mentoring to adult learners in Fairbanks, as well as in villages in the Interior and Western Alaska, stretching from the Yukon Flats to the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.

They also have a workforce development program, the Pathways Program, serving youths and young adults ages 16 to 24, and run the used bookstore Forget-Me-Not Books in Fairbanks, which provides revenues for its programs, jobs training and employment.

Southeast Regional Resource Center, a nonprofit educational services agency that provides a variety of services statewide, including adult education, English language learning and workforce development programs. In addition, SERRC provides educational and business services to school districts, including special education programs, human resources and grant administration.

Chris Reitan, its executive director, in a phone interview on July 10, said the organization is looking at cutting at least two staff positions and a few part-time positions.

Reitan said the federal funding freeze withheld over $86,600 for adult education programs in Southeast Alaska, and over $64,000 in the Aleutians region.

He said SERRC’s program served 112 students last year in the areas of GED support, English language learning and workforce development across the state.

The Alaska Beacon is an independent, donor-funded news organization. Alaskabeacon.com.