Your Voice Made a Difference—Now Let’s Keep Up the Fight!

We have great news to celebrate: Thanks to the efforts of more than 23,000 adult educators and learners across the country, the Office of Management and Budget has officially released the congressionally appropriated WIOA Title II funding for FY25!

This is a major victory—and a direct result of our collective advocacy. By standing together, contacting lawmakers, and raising our voices, we proved that adult education matters and that advocacy works.

But the work isn’t done yet.

Next Up: Senate Considers FY26 Adult Education Funding on July 31st

Now we face a critical moment. On Thursday, July 31st, the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) Appropriations Subcommittee will meet to consider the FY26 appropriations bill—the next federal funding package that will determine the future of adult education.

You can watch the hearing live [here].

While the President’s initial budget proposal recommended eliminating federal adult education funding, there is real reason for hope:

Bipartisan support is growing.
11 of the 17 members of the Senate LHHS Subcommittee (7 Democrats and 4 Republicans) signed letters urging the release of FY25 funding and recognizing the value of adult education.
Your advocacy is being heard.
Every call, email, and student story has made a difference, and now we need to keep up the pressure.

What You Can Do Right Now

COABE has created two easy-to-use, “3 Clicks” advocacy tools to help you take action in under 60 seconds:

Urge your state legislators to increase funding for adult education in the state budget:
👉 [Click here to contact your state leaders]
Tell Congress to fully fund adult education in the FY26 federal budget:
👉 [Click here to message your federal lawmakers]

Let’s Keep the Momentum Going

Thanks to you, we’ve already secured a huge win for FY25—but the fight continues. Let’s show up just as strong for FY26. Every email, every post, every voice counts.

🗓️ Don’t forget: the IAACE Conference is just around the corner (Sept. 24–26), and it’s the perfect place to continue this movement, connect with fellow advocates, and strengthen our collective voice.

We’ll see you there—stronger than ever.

Jenn Wigginton

Jenn is the IAACE Executive Director. Her passion for adult education shines through in everything she does for IAACE. You can invite her to a chat for questions anytime. Click here to book a time to chat with Jenn

Your Voice Made a Difference—Now Let’s Keep Up the Fight!