The Trump administration said Friday that it would release $1.3 billion in frozen federal funding for after-school programs across the country, after facing growing bipartisan pressure.
The Trump administration, which wants to slash spending and reduce the federal government’s role in education, had abruptly withheld the money, along with billions in other education dollars. It said it was conducting a review and had found instances of federal dollars being “grossly misused to subsidize a radical left-wing agenda.”
In a lawsuit, Democratic leaders in 24 states said the move was illegal.
On Friday, the White House Office of Management and Budget said that money would be released for a program that funds after-school and other services outside of school hours for an estimated 1.4 million students nationwide, many from lower-income families. It said that officials had made plans to ensure the funds did not violate President Trump’s executive orders.
Some federally funded after-school programs had been making plans to cut back or shut down. The release of the funds means they will be able to open this school year, preserving a lifeline for working parents.
About 20 percent of students in after-school programs nationwide are supported by federal funding, according to the Afterschool Alliance, an advocacy group. In some communities, federally funded programs include ones run by the Boys & Girls Club and the Y.M.C.A.
The Trump administration withheld funding from a number of education programs this summer, which also included money for teacher training and help for children learning English. The Department of Education notified states on June 30 that they would not receive the money on July 1 as expected.
The money, which had been approved by Congress and totaled about $6.8 billion, included about 14 percent of all federal dollars for K-12 education. Roughly $5.5 billion of that is still on hold.
The White House’s proposed budget for 2026 eliminates some of the programs in question and collapses others into a smaller pot of education money for states.
The freezing of the funds weeks before the school year threatened to derail after-school programs around the country. Many school districts had made their budgets expecting the money, which was authorized by Congress in March.
The release of the after-school money was a “huge sigh of relief,” said Kate Bartlett, the superintendent in Lake County, Colo., who had been making plans to scale-back the after-school program in her small, rural district.
Many parents in her community work in resort towns like Aspen and Breckenridge, commuting for an hour or more. While the parents work, the after-school program provides sports and music to children, along with a snack and dinner to take home.
“What this preserves is a safe and warm place for kids, and it also preserves what we view as a key plank in economic stability for the community that allows parents to keep working a full day,” Ms. Bartlett said.
In recent days, the Trump administration had faced growing pressure, including a rare public letter signed by 10 Republican senators urging the White House to release the education funding.
More than 200 superintendents from around the country traveled to Capitol Hill last week and met with lawmakers about the funding issue, according to AASA, a school superintendents association.
“Districts should not be in this impossible position,” said the group’s executive director, David R. Schuler. He praised the release of the after-school dollars but said “the remaining funds must be released immediately.”