Higher Education: US Withdraws $25 Million From Afghanistan's Last Major Women's University

Nearly 90% of the American University of Afghanistan's operating budget came from US taxpayers as of 2018. That massive financial dependency has now been severed. The United States has decided to stop funding the institution, one of the few remaining places in the country where women can pursue higher education. This move creates an immediate vacuum for a university that has long relied on American aid to keep its doors open.

The decision lands on a campus already under intense pressure. Approximately 1,000 students currently attend the university, with about three-quarters of them being women. Since the Taliban returned to power, the campus itself has been seized by the new authorities. Consequently, the student body conducts their studies in secret through an online program. They join lectures from their homes, often using aliases and keeping their cameras off to maintain anonymity. As one student, who goes by the name Laila, noted, she only knows her classmates by their voices.

Laila, a political science major in her mid-twenties, represents the typical struggle of the current student demographic. Her academic journey was interrupted when the Taliban took control in August 2021. She was at another university in Kabul with only two exams remaining. When the ban on women's education was announced in December 2022, her degree was left unfinished. A scholarship allowed her to restart her education at AUAF, a chance she says not every girl was given. Now, with US funding gone, her path to graduation feels more precarious than ever.

The loss of financial support adds to the daily fear that defines student life. Peers have reported receiving threatening calls and messages. Laila worries that Taliban officials could search her phone and uncover university correspondence. She has stated that authorities have entered her home multiple times to inspect family belongings. She lives with the constant background thought that she could be the next target.

The university was established in 2006 with significant backing from the US government. Former first lady Laura Bush announced the commitment of millions of dollars, describing the project as a way to train future leaders, particularly women. Patrick Fine, who served as the Afghanistan mission director at USAID at the time, recalled that many within the agency viewed the initiative as risky. Critics at the time called it a waste of money. The administration, however, saw an opportunity to stabilize the young democracy and build goodwill for the interim government.

In recent years, Washington grew increasingly critical of how the money was managed. US inspectors launched an investigation into the university's finances in 2016. By 2018, they concluded that poor accounting practices made it difficult to track exactly how the aid was spent. John Sopko, a former US federal inspector who oversaw the probe, expressed surprise that funding continued despite these issues. He told DW that he was shocked they were still providing money to AUAF.

This year, the State Department press office explained the decision to end funding by citing a history of repeated lack of accountability for American taxpayer dollars. Fine rejected this rationale, calling it smear tactics. While he admitted that earlier audits found the university struggled with USAID's extensive rules, he maintained that they did not find major fraud. He described the institution as a worthy investment because it remains one of the few organizations still reaching Afghan women.

Although the US is not the only donor, it has historically covered the vast majority of costs. The State Department said the university is free to identify other funders and partners. Therefore, ending American taxpayer money does not automatically mean the end of its operations. However, without the $25 million grant that was recently refused, the university's future remains highly uncertain. Other donors may step in, but the scale of the shortfall is significant.

For students like Laila, the news has been devastating. She says she has lost all her motivation and hope. Each time she prepares for a lecture, she wonders if there will be another one to attend. She has barely left her room since learning of the cut. She had expected to have graduated years ago and be studying for a master's degree abroad. Now, she thinks she may find a way forward in five or ten years, but the immediate future is clouded by doubt.