White House budget impacts could extend to adult English learners in Georgia

Proposals for the next federal government budget could leave funding gaps for those trying to learn English in K-12 public schools, but adult education may take a hit as well.

Trump’s proposed budget includes a $729 million reduction to adult education services, including the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act. Georgia serves over 40,000 adults, with $21 million in federal funding at risk under the proposed cuts, said Cayanna Good, assistant commissioner of Adult Education for the Technical College System of Georgia.

Adult education serves several populations, including runaway youth, single parents and English Language learners. AEFLA supports adult learners 16 and older through services such as English as a second language and integrated civics education classes, workforce preparation, and integrated civics education.

“We provide free and flexible instruction to the most vulnerable across the state,” Good said. “Central Georgia (Tech) has in any given year well over 2,000 students, and hundreds of those students are English language learners.”

These learners attend programs to better advocate for their children in K-12 settings, secure better jobs and integrate into society, Good added.

In Georgia, there are currently 12,368 English language learners enrolled in adult education programs, according to Good.

Central Georgia Technical College in Warner Robins receives about $1.3 million in AEFLA grants along with state matching funds, said Brittany Lucas, CGTC vice president of adult education.

The college serves 11 Middle Georgia counties, offering American Citizenship preparation, high school equivalency classes and more. Lucas said ESL enrollment — primarily Hispanic/Latino and Asian students — has steadily increased.

Lucas credited the program’s success to CGTC’s multilingual and multicultural staff, who are considered pillars in their communities.

“They help guide students and make them feel comfortable,” she said. “It helps lower language barriers.”

Lucas said many students work in local manufacturing and agriculture businesses. CGTC partners with companies such as Kumho Tire to offer English instruction to employees and their families.

“This is not just one generation — this is their families,” Lucas said. “We’re impacting their children and their children’s ability to read English. Usually, their children help us out a lot.”

One such success story is Yohar Martínez, a Venezuelan native and CGTC ESL adjunct instructor. Once a student in the program herself, Martínez was recently named the 2025 Adult Education Outstanding Teacher of the Year. She now empowers non-English speakers and adult immigrant learners to achieve their educational and personal goals.

One of Trump’s reasonings for proposing the cuts was “...This program has dismal results—in the most recent reported year, only 43 percent of participants had any measurable skills gains.”

But Georgia has increased its measurable skills gains persistently for the past four years, according to state data.

Good said Georgia has the highest measurable skills gains in the South, and she believes the state will meet its target.

The cuts can also potentially lead to instructor layoffs, less provided classes and longer waitlists for adult education services, said CEO of the Coalition on Adult Basic Education Sharon Bonney.

Unlike K-12 schools, adult education is heavily reliant on federal funding, which means the proposed cuts may cause adult educators to lose their jobs or be asked to volunteer, Bonney added.

“We were very surprised by this because we have had such good relationships with every administration,” Bonney said. “Adult education is such a great return on investment, when we’re talking about, on average, about $583 per learner.”

The impact would be particularly severe in rural counties, which already face challenges with transportation and broadband access, Good said.

“If we have the type of cuts that the skinny budget proposes, then that’s going to impact our ability to provide the free and flexible services to everybody who needs them,” Good said.

Lucas acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding federal fund cuts but said the state has remained committed to supporting adult education. She noted that federal funds are not the only funding source for adult education programs in Georgia.

“No matter what happens at the federal level, we are incredibly fortunate to have strong support here in Georgia for ESL and for our adult education programs.” she said. “The state has remained committed to maintaining its investment in adult ed, with our FY 26 budget holding steady. We have no plans to reduce services to any of our departments. There are no plans at this time for that, and we will continue to provide the services our communities need.”

While the budget proposal still requires congressional approval, the uncertainty has created concern among educators and students alike. As Congress deliberates in the coming months, the future of these programs and the students they serve remains in question. Boney expressed hope for congressional support to maintain funding for adult learners.