The Global Campaign for Education US (GCE-US) acknowledges today’s release of the House Appropriations Committee’s FY 2027 bill for the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Subcommittee, which includes $691.5 million for the Nita M. Lowey Basic Education Fund.

While this amount remains far below the FY 2023 level of $970 million, we appreciate the Subcommittee’s continued commitment to U.S. support for critical international basic and secondary education programs by continuing the FY 2026 funding level. At the same time, we are concerned that the bill provides only $121.6 million for contributions to multilateral partnerships that support education, as these programs leverage U.S. investments, providing context-specific education programs.

Multilateral partnerships like the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and Education Cannot Wait (ECW) are essential pillars of global education. GPE strengthens national education systems in lower income countries, helping governments expand access, improve learning outcomes, and build resilience. ECW provides rapid and sustained support to children whose education has been disrupted by conflict, displacement, and emergencies, ensuring that learning continues even in the most challenging environments.

Both mechanisms deliver high impact, cost effective results and are vital to reaching the world’s most marginalized learners. Given that one in six children live in areas affected by conflict and nearly half of all refugee children were out of school in 2024, we must ensure they have opportunities to learn and thrive.

GCE-US Executive Director Giulia McPherson underscored the urgency of sustained U.S. leadership, stating:

“At a time when more children than ever are affected by conflict, displacement, and protracted crises, sustained U.S. leadership is essential. Multilateral education partnerships like GPE and ECW deliver high impact, cost effective results for the world’s most vulnerable learners. We urge Congress to restore robust funding levels that reflect the scale of global need. International education programs have a high return on investment and provide pathways for current and future generations to respect and share American values.”

We thank the members of the House Subcommittee for their work on this bill and for their ongoing support for global basic education. As the appropriations process moves forward, we look forward to working with them and Senate appropriators to ensure that the United States continues to champion strong, effective investments in global education.