(The Center Square) – The Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges says nearly $13.8 million in withheld federal grant funding is negatively impacting the state’s technical colleges.
Washington Attorney General Nick Brown’s office joined litigation against the U.S. Department of Education and the Office of Management and Budget on Monday, claiming the federal government is illegally withholding $7 billion in formula grants allocated to the states.
The U.S. Department of Education sent an email to states on June 30 that it was reviewing 2025 funding due to the change in administrations. As a result, the department has not issued Grant Award Notifications obligating funds for programs on July 1 prior to completing that review.
“The Department remains committed to ensuring taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the President’s priorities and the Department’s statutory responsibilities,” the email read, according to the complaint.
Brown’s office says $13.8 million in withheld grant funding was supposed to go toward adult education and literary services and basic education and job training.
According to Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges Interim Communications Director Katie Rose, the withheld funding immediately impacts the state’s 34 community and technical colleges’ ability to serve over 33,000 students.
“Withholding these federal grants undermines students as they work on their high school diploma or GED, learn English, math, and digital literacy skills, and train for jobs,” Rose told The Center Square in an email.
Out of the $13.8 million, $11.4 million stems from the “Basic Grant,” which funds local programs of adult education and literacy services. Services funded through this grant include English language literacy, workplace literacy and workforce preparation, and integrated education and training.
The remaining $2.3 million comes from the Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education grant, which helps people learn the English language in a career pathway model. Rose said the board uses these funds to support students in programs like the Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training model in which students learn basic skills and get job-training or college-level instruction at the same time so they can quickly move into a living-wage job.
“Washington needs about 600,000 more people with training beyond high school to keep up with Washington state’s employers’ demand,” Rose said. “Basic Education for Adults helps meet that need, benefiting students and their families, Washington taxpayers, and employers.”
Washington’s K-12 schools have an estimated $137 million in frozen funds for the upcoming school year, according to the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
