25 Million Dollars Vanish: US Cuts Lifeline for 1,000 Afghan Women
The American University of Afghanistan, which serves roughly 1,000 students including 75% women, loses its primary financial backer after a decade of audit disputes.
By Larissa Bell ·
The United States State Department has blocked a $25 million grant to the American University of Afghanistan, effectively cutting off the institution's main source of revenue. The decision leaves the university, which educates approximately 1,000 students, without its largest donor. The university is one of the few remaining places where Afghan women can pursue a higher education degree.
Laila, a political science student in her mid-twenties, learned of the funding halt via an email sent late at night. She studies through the university's online program after the Taliban seized the physical campus. Like many of her classmates, she uses an alias and keeps her camera off during lectures. She told Deutsche Welle that she now wonders if another lecture will ever take place. "I have lost all my motivation and hope," she said.
The university opened in 2006 with support from former US First Lady Laura Bush, who announced the US commitment to train future leaders. Patrick Fine, the former Afghanistan mission director at USAID, described the project as a way to stabilize the young democracy and build goodwill. However, internal views were mixed, with some USAID staff viewing the initiative as risky.
Financial scrutiny began in 2016 when US inspectors investigated the university's finances. By 2018, inspectors concluded that poor accounting practices made it difficult to track exactly how aid money was spent. John Sopko, the former federal inspector who oversaw the probe, expressed surprise that the US continued funding the institution. "I was surprised they were still funding AUAF," he said.
The State Department cited the university's history of repeated lack of accountability for millions of American taxpayer dollars as the reason for the recent decision. Fine rejected this characterization as smear tactics. He acknowledged that earlier audits found the university struggled to comply with USAID rules but stated that they did not find major fraud. He maintained that the university remains a worthy investment because it reaches Afghan women.
The US has provided nearly 90% of the university's funding since 2018, according to a US report. The State Department noted that the university is free to find other funders and partners. Without the $25 million grant, the institution's financial stability is uncertain. Laila, who has barely left her room since receiving the news, now believes she may not graduate for five or ten years.
The Taliban banned women's education in December 2022, forcing Laila and other students to continue their studies in secret. Some students have received threatening calls and messages, and officials have searched homes for evidence of university communication. Laila said she worries that authorities could find university emails on her phone. She had expected to complete her degree and begin a master's program abroad years ago.
