US Cuts $25 Million Grant for Afghan Women's University

The American University of Afghanistan, a key institution for higher learning in a country with limited educational access, has lost its primary financial supporter. The United States government announced on Thursday that it will no longer fund the university, a decision that leaves the future of its academic programs in question.

The State Department press office confirmed the decision to Deutsche Welle, citing the institution's "history of repeated lack of accountability for millions of American taxpayer dollars." This funding cut removes the largest single source of financial support for the university. Since 2018, American taxpayers have covered nearly 90% of the school's costs.

The university, established in 2006, serves approximately 1,000 students. Women make up about three-quarters of the student body. The State Department noted that the university is free to seek other partners and funders, but the loss of the $25 million grant creates immediate uncertainty. Without this capital, the institution faces significant challenges in maintaining its operations and online curriculum.

Laila, a political science student in her mid-twenties, learned of the decision via email while sleeping. Her name has been changed for safety. She is part of a cohort studying through the university's online program because the Taliban have seized the physical campus. She attends lectures from home, using aliases and keeping her camera off. "I just know their voices," she said. The funding cut has deeply affected her confidence in completing her degree.

The university's history with American funding dates back to 2006. Former first lady Laura Bush announced the initial commitment of millions of dollars, describing the project as a way to train future leaders. Patrick Fine, the Afghanistan mission director at the United States Agency for International Development at the time, recalled that some officials viewed the investment as risky. He stated that the administration saw an opportunity to stabilize the interim government and build goodwill.

Financial scrutiny intensified in 2016 when US inspectors began an investigation into the university's accounting. By 2018, officials reported that poor record-keeping made it difficult to track exactly how aid money was spent. John Sopko, a former US federal inspector who oversaw the probe, expressed surprise that funding continued. "I was surprised they were still funding AUAF," he said.

Fine disputed the rationale for the cut, calling it "smear tactics." He acknowledged that earlier audits revealed the university struggled to comply with strict USAID regulations. However, he maintained that the probes did not uncover major fraud. He described the university as a worthy investment because it remains one of the few organizations still providing higher education to Afghan women.

For students like Laila, the end of US funding represents a major setback. She has barely left her room since receiving the news. Some peers have received threatening calls, and Taliban officials have searched their homes. Laila fears her phone could be checked for university emails. "It's always in the back of my head that maybe tomorrow it's my turn," she said.

Laila's path to enrollment was interrupted when the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. She was at another university in Kabul with two exams remaining. A December 2022 Taliban ban on women's education left her degree unfinished. She later won a scholarship to the American University of Afghanistan. "Not every girl got that opportunity," she said. She now wonders if she will graduate in five or ten years.

The loss of the grant does not guarantee the university will close, but it removes the financial backbone that supported its expansion. The institution must now rely on smaller donors and its own reserves. For the students studying in secret, the uncertainty adds a new layer of difficulty to an already precarious academic journey.