EdTrust budget tool provides education advocates key information for opposing harmful federal funding cuts

With federal lawmakers debating three separate education funding proposals, the potential impacts of each bill on North Carolina schools are not easy to grasp. Thankfully, researchers at EdTrust have created tools that show the varying ways that all three federal education funding plans would harm North Carolina’s students.  

In recent decades, the federal government has provided about 10 percent of operating funding for North Carolina’s public schools. Federal funding focuses on vulnerable student populations, such as students with disabilities and students from families with low incomes.  

For example, in 2025, North Carolina received $514 million of Title I funds to support students from families with low incomes and $388 million from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to support students with disabilities. 

Higher education funding is also at risk. The federal government provides funding for student aid, childcare, and other supports for students from low-income backgrounds. 

Now, there are three competing federal proposals that reduce funding for these vital programs for the 2027 school year and beyond. 

As the researchers at EdTrust explain, the House proposal and the Trump administration proposal mirror each other and include drastic funding cuts. The Senate proposal continues funding at nearly the same amounts as the prior year, still resulting in losses due to inflation. 

EdTrust’s fantastic funding tool shows how each of these proposals will have disparate impacts across student groups. The massive cuts in the Trump and House proposals would disproportionately harm students of color and students from families with low incomes. For example, the House proposal would cut funding by $288 per student in high-poverty districts, compared to $127 per student in low-poverty districts. 

The tool also shows the impact at the district level, so you can explore how the federal proposals might affect your local schools. Please inform yourself and take action by contacting your Representatives and Senators to advocate for increased funding for education.