New Report Maps Vulnerabilities by State as the Federal Government Seeks to Eliminate Funding for Adult Education Programs

WASHINGTON, DC — Proposed federal funding cuts under the Trump administration threaten to disrupt English instruction and other adult education services for hundreds of thousands of immigrants and U.S.-born English learners, with 27 states relying for half or more of their support for these programs from federal funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity (WIOA) Act, a new analysis reveals.

More than 27.6 million adults in the United States have limited English proficiency, yet the formal adult education system already meets less than 5 percent of the need for English instruction. This strained system is now under further threat, with the Trump administration proposing eliminating all federal funding for the federal-state partnership under WIOA Title II in both its fiscal year 2026 and 2027 budget proposals. Although Congress did not adopt the proposed 2026 cut, the administration has clearly stated that it views dedicated federal funding for adult education as ineffective and unnecessary. The administration also attempted to withhold appropriated federal funds from adult education programs in July 2025 and may seek to do so again.

A new report from the Migration Policy Institute’s National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy, which examines average Title II funding levels for states over a five-year period, reveals stark disparities in how states would be affected by the reduction, elimination or withholding of federal funding for adult education services, including English, literacy and numeracy, high school equivalency, citizenship and family literacy programs. These programs serve more than 1 million foreign- and U.S.-born adults every year.

Nine states — Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee and Virginia — drew 70 percent or more of their WIOA Title II funds from federal sources, the MPI analysis shows. Within these, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and Virginia face compounded risk: they are among the most federally dependent and rank in the top 20 states for the size of their adult populations that are limited English proficient (LEP). Four other states received between 60 and 70 percent of their adult education funding from the federal government and also ranked in the top 20 states with the largest adult LEP populations: Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas.

Only nine states contributed 75 percent or more of their own funding to adult education services in their states, giving them greater resilience to federal cuts: Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Vermont and Washington State.

The analysis also warns that the Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IELCE) program, one of the few federally funded programs explicitly dedicated to immigrants' civic, linguistic and workforce integration, is particularly at risk. Because federal requirements and dedicated funding largely drive the program, states may discontinue it entirely should that funding disappear.

Yet states are not without options, policy analyst Jacob Hofstetter notes. The report identifies four strategies for strengthening English acquisition and adult education systems against federal unpredictability:

• Increase state contributions to WIOA Title II programs to expand provider capacity and cushion against federal cuts. The report notes that as states face federal cuts to Medicaid and other major programs, this would require intentional efforts now.
• Create new, flexible funding streams for adult English instruction to support innovative program models, such as workplace English instruction for workers in key industries or for internationally trained professionals whose skills are underutilized.
• Leverage other funding streams, including workforce development dollars, to support important outcomes for adult English learners such as upskilling workers to fill in-demand jobs or help immigrant parents support their children’s academic success.
• Invest strategically in local program capacity, particularly in rural and under-resourced areas where philanthropic alternatives are thin and program closures are a real possibility.

“The current moment presents a serious challenge for adult education systems supporting the linguistic, civic and economic integration of immigrant adults, but it also presents an opportunity,” Hofstetter writes. “States can take advantage of disruptions at the federal level and draw on their authority and system knowledge to reimagine their adult education policies and practices, crafting innovative programs that more effectively support the successful integration of immigrants in their communities.”

Read the report, Adult English Instruction at Risk: The Threat of Federal Funding Cuts and Potential State Responses, here: www.migrationpolicy.org/research/adult-english-instruction-risk.

For more from the National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy, visit: www.migrationpolicy.org/integration.