The Trump administration announced Friday that it will release $5.5 billion in previously frozen education funding.

The Department of Education said states can expect the funds to begin flowing next week.

The decision comes after mounting bipartisan pressure, including from Republican and Democratic senators who signed a public letter calling on the White House to end the delay and release the money.

The Trump administration had withheld more than $6 billion in education funding on July 1, as part of a review to ensure spending aligned with the White House’s priorities. States were notified just one day before the expected release date.

The freeze affected seven critical education programs, including funding for English language learners, migrant education, teacher professional development, academic enrichment, and adult education programs. The Office of Management and Budget claimed its initial review indicated some programs had been “grossly abused to promote a radical leftwing DEI agenda.”

The funding freeze created chaos for school districts nationwide, forcing many to make difficult decisions about staffing, programs, and services just weeks before the start of the academic year. A survey by the School Superintendents Association found that nearly three-quarters of superintendents would have had to cut academic programming, and half expected to lay off teachers and other employees if funding was not restored.

The funding freeze faced multiple legal challenges, with 24 Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia filing lawsuits against the Trump administration. Additionally, a coalition of school districts, teachers’ unions, and education advocates joined the legal action.

Beyond the courts, over 600 local, state, and national organizations representing districts, teachers, families, and students sent a letter urging the immediate release of funds.

The administration began partially reversing the freeze last week when it released $1.3 billion for after-school and summer programming.

With the release of the funds, the administration noted that “guardrails are in place to ensure these funds will not be used in violation of Executive Orders or administration policy.”

Funding concerns still remain as Trump’s proposed fiscal year 2026 budget calls for eliminating many of the same programs that were frozen, replacing them with a single, much smaller block grant.