Federal Policy (May 2025)

2025 EHCY Funds Released—Advocacy Critical as 2026 Budget Battle Begins

The U.S. Department of Education has released preliminary FY2025 EHCY allocations. Learn what this means for funding, the risks ahead, and how to advocate for students experiencing homelessness.

On May 28, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) released preliminary FY2025 state allocations for the McKinney-Vento Act’s Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) program to state education agencies. While final allocations are expected next month, the release of these preliminary figures confirms ED’s intention to distribute the Congressionally-approved EHCY funding for the 2025–2026 school year.

See how much your state received

As a reminder, Congress passed the final FY2025 budget in March through an unusual Continuing Resolution (CR), which funded most federal programs at prior-year levels but did not include the customary budget tables. This omission – and ED’s lack of communication – created months of uncertainty, disrupting preparation for the next school year.

Throughout this period of instability, SchoolHouse Connection worked closely with Congressional staff, school district homeless liaisons, and state coordinators to urge the Administration to release the approved EHCY funding. We are deeply grateful to everyone who joined us in advocating for these crucial resources, and we ask for your continued support—especially as the fight for FY2026 funding is now underway.

We anticipate learning more in the coming days when the Administration releases its full FY2026 budget proposal. President Trump released a preliminary “skinny budget” on May 2, outlining recommendations for the upcoming appropriations process. The proposal calls for consolidating 18 federal education programs into a block grant, but does not specify which programs would be included. If the EHCY program is among them, it would effectively eliminate its dedicated funding and legal protections for students experiencing homelessness.

It’s important to remember that the President’s budget is only a proposal—but it signals the need for strong, sustained advocacy in the weeks and months ahead. SHC will continue to monitor developments closely and will share a detailed summary and action steps once more information is available.

We’re Here to Help: Reach Out to Our Policy Team

For more information, and/or for assistance in helping to educate your Members of Congress about the importance of EHCY funding, please contact TJ Lucas, Senior Manager of Federal Policy, at tj@schoolhouseconnection.org.

STATEFINAL FISCAL YEAR 2025 EDUCATION FOR HOMELESS CHILDREN AND YOUTH ALLOCATIONS FOR SCHOOL YEAR 2025-2026 (BASED ON THE FULL-YEAR CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS AND EXTENSIONS ACT, 2025)
ALABAMA2,091,831
ALASKA363,091
ARIZONA2,163,582
ARKANSAS1,199,040
CALIFORNIA15,863,004
COLORADO1,230,701
CONNECTICUT1,162,876
DELAWARE426,326
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA394,538
FLORIDA6,783,042
GEORGIA4,542,879
HAWAII489,587
IDAHO429,627
ILLINOIS5,180,855
INDIANA1,933,998
IOWA773,815
KANSAS794,249
KENTUCKY2,136,179
LOUISIANA2,719,732
MAINE426,377
MARYLAND1,983,407
MASSACHUSETTS2,129,376
MICHIGAN4,066,521
MINNESOTA1,250,121
MISSISSIPPI1,476,299
MISSOURI1,619,037
MONTANA396,787
NEBRASKA507,059
NEVADA1,106,407
NEW HAMPSHIRE351,991
NEW JERSEY3,159,458
NEW MEXICO1,062,511
NEW YORK10,338,212
NORTH CAROLINA3,737,041
NORTH DAKOTA333,744
OHIO4,500,113
OKLAHOMA1,687,626
OREGON1,226,617
PENNSYLVANIA5,136,706
RHODE ISLAND416,102
SOUTH CAROLINA1,908,919
SOUTH DAKOTA399,930
TENNESSEE2,670,598
TEXAS12,529,560
UTAH699,711
VERMONT322,500
VIRGINIA2,443,172
WASHINGTON2,170,844
WEST VIRGINIA689,517
WISCONSIN1,532,901
WYOMING322,505
PUERTO RICO2,800,379
TOTAL TO STATES126,081,000
AMERICAN SAMOA41,779
GUAM43,581
NORTHERN MARIANAS24,343
VIRGIN ISLANDS19,297
BIE1,290,000
NATIONAL ACTIVITIES1,500,000
TOTAL129,000,000