Cut to US Funding Threatens to Close Door to Higher Education for Afghan Women

The United States has declined to finance the American University of Afghanistan (AUAF), a decision that jeopardizes a $25 million grant and threatens to eliminate one of the final avenues available to women in the country for pursuing higher education. The funding refusal, communicated through a State Department press office statement, has cast uncertainty over the future of an institution that has operated for two decades.

The university has faced allegations regarding its financial management. US inspectors opened an investigation into the institution's finances in 2016, concluding by 2018 that inadequate accounting practices rendered it impossible to verify how aid money had been spent. A former US federal inspector overseeing that probe, John Sopko, expressed surprise that funding continued, telling DW: "I was surprised they were still funding AUAF." In response to these concerns, the State Department press office stated that the decision to cease funding reflected a history of repeated lack of accountability concerning millions of taxpayer dollars.

Patrick Fine, formerly the Afghanistan mission director at USAID, rejected this characterization as "smear tactics." While acknowledging that earlier audits identified difficulties in adhering to extensive USAID rules, Fine stated they "didn't find major fraud." He described the university as "a worthy investment" because it remains one of the few organizations capable of reaching Afghan women. The university's founding in 2006 was supported by the Bush administration, with former first lady Laura Bush announcing millions in funding to train "future leaders," particularly women, to stabilize a young democracy and build goodwill.

The American contribution has historically constituted the vast majority of the institution's budget. A US report noted that as of 2018, the United States paid nearly 90% of the costs. Although the State Department indicated that the university is "free to identify other funders and partners," the withdrawal of American taxpayer money creates uncertainty regarding the continuation of operations. The refusal of the $25 million grant leaves the future of the university in doubt.

For a student identified only as Laila, a mid-twenties political science and international studies major, the news was devastating. "I have lost all my motivation and hope," she said, adding that she constantly worries whether she will be able to attend the next lecture. She has barely left her room since learning of the funding cut. Her concerns are compounded by fear; Taliban authorities have entered her home several times to search belongings, and she worries that officials could search her phone for university emails. "It's always in the back of my head that maybe tomorrow it's my turn," she said.

Laila's journey reflects the broader struggle for female education in the region. Following the Taliban's return to power in August 2021, she was near completing a degree at another Kabul university with only two exams left. When the Taliban announced a ban on women's education in December 2022, her degree remained unfinished. She subsequently won a scholarship to AUAF to restart her education. "Not every girl got that opportunity," she said.

The student body at the university consists of roughly 1,000 individuals, approximately three-quarters of whom are women. Following the Taliban's seizure of the campus, students like Laila attend classes through an online program from home, using aliases and keeping cameras off during lectures. "I just know their voices," she said. The loss of funding poses a threat to this clandestine access to education.

Laila had planned to graduate years ago and pursue a master's degree abroad. Instead, the funding cut has altered her trajectory, with her now considering that she may find a path to her studies in five or ten years. Each time she prepares for a lecture, she questions whether another will follow, illustrating the precarious nature of educational access for women in the country.