Education programs across the country have plunged into uncertainty and chaos after the Trump administration announced a federal spending freeze. Government officials tried to soften the blow of a directive that started paralyzing agency functions.
Before a judge intervened later on Tuesday, Head Start providers were temporarily locked out of essential digital systems. Colleges and universities worried about the status of research grants and funding for minority-serving institutions. And lobbyists warned a lack of clarity could extend well beyond a Feb. 10 deadline for agencies to submit detailed information to the Office of Management and Budget about programs affected by the spending hold.
“One thing I’m trying to stress to people is that this is not necessarily a two-week funding pause, this is an indefinite funding pause,” said Sarah Abernathy, a veteran education funding advocate who has worked in roles at the Education Department and the Democratic staff of the House Budget Committee.
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