Adult English Instruction at Risk: The Threat of Federal Funding Cuts and Potential State Responses

English proficiency is widely recognized as an important skill for immigrants seeking to successfully integrate into U.S. communities and advance in the workforce. Adult education programs offering free or low-cost English courses, often paired with civics and workforce development services, are thus a key public service promoting immigrant integration.

The federal-state partnership under Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) is one of the primary funding sources for adult education programs serving both immigrant and U.S.-born learners nationwide. This arrangement, which has long attracted relatively little attention from national policymakers, faces new challenges during the second Trump term—including efforts to withhold, reduce, or eliminate federal funding for adult education.

This report examines states’ vulnerability and resilience to reductions in federal adult education funding, identifying those states that rely most and least heavily on the federal government to sustain their adult education systems. The study also offers considerations and policy options for states seeking to preserve and even strengthen these important programs.