Teens like me are feeling the impact of the federal funding freeze—even if we don’t realize it yet

Paying for college is one thing. Filling out the FAFSA is another thing. 

But hearing about the federal funding freeze and the current presidential administration cutting down the department of education is an entirely different thing. 

Let’s be honest — when we hear “federal funding freeze,” most of us kind of zone out. It sounds like one of those things that’s more about politics than real life. But lately, I’ve been paying more attention. And what have I learned? It’s already affecting students like me.

This isn’t just something happening far away in Washington, D.C. This is about our schools losing tutoring programs, after-school support and even money for new buses. It’s about college students not getting their research grants or schools putting a pause on hiring new professors. It’s about the resources we use every day, slowly disappearing because of decisions we didn’t get a say in.​

Earlier this year, the Environmental Protection Agency froze nearly $1 billion in funding from the Clean School Bus Program, which was supposed to help districts switch to electric buses. Now, more than 500 school districts — including some in rural and underserved communities — are left scrambling to make up for it. ​

At the same time, according to AP News, over $1.1 billion in Covid-19 relief funds meant for K–12 education were frozen by the Department of Education. That funding would have gone toward things like building upgrades, extra tutoring and support for unhoused students. Kansas schools and their education officials are scrambling to fill the gaps and fight to get the money back.

And it’s not just younger students feeling it. Colleges across the country, including Columbia and Cornell, are facing cuts and delays in federal research funding. Columbia alone had more than $250 million frozen from the National Institutes of Health. These grants support graduate students, research jobs and opportunities for undergrads hoping to get involved in science, healthcare and engineering.​

While Derby Public Schools hasn’t released a public statement about how the funding freeze will specifically affect them, they are one of many Kansas districts likely to feel the pressure. Fewer resources could mean harder decisions about programs, staffing and student support.​

As a senior who committed to the University of Kansas to major in journalism, I’m worried. Not just for myself, but for the millions of students whose futures are tied to decisions they had no part in.

I’m not trying to be dramatic. I’m just saying this matters. When education funding gets messed with, we feel it — in our classrooms, in our college applications and our communities.

We deserve better than this political tug-of-war. We deserve investment, not indifference.

And if no one else is going to speak up for us, maybe it’s time we start speaking for ourselves.