The American University of Afghanistan (AUAF), a key institution symbolizing decades of U.S. involvement in the country, faces a critical funding shortfall after the U.S. State Department declined a $25 million grant request for the next two years. The funding cut threatens the education of nearly 1,000 students, predominantly women, the university’s interim president said.
David Edwards, a professor who took over as interim president in March, confirmed the denial of funding on Tuesday. The State Department cited a “history of repeated lack of accountability for millions of American taxpayer dollars” as the reason for ending support by year’s end. Edwards disputed these claims, noting that audits since 2021 have cleared AUAF of previous allegations of mismanagement that arose under earlier leadership, which involved more than $60 million missing as per U.S. officials.
Established in 2006 in Kabul as a liberal arts college, the American University of Afghanistan has been one of the largest civilian projects funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), receiving over $225 million in support. The university’s mission has been to educate future Afghan leaders, with about 75% of its students—mostly women—enrolled remotely within Afghanistan. Approximately 90% of the student body is located inside the country, with faculty both domestic and abroad.
After the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, foreign staff were evacuated and some students fled internationally. Despite Taliban condemnation, which labeled the institution as a site of Western ideological influence, the university has continued limited operations, offering online education to Afghan women permitted to study at home. The Taliban has barred over 2.6 million girls and women from education beyond sixth grade, according to UNESCO, although clandestine schools occasionally operate under uncertain tolerance.
As a condition of receiving funding, AUAF must partner with the American University of Central Asia in Kyrgyzstan, a collaboration Edwards is pursuing. He also traveled to universities in the United Kingdom and Germany seeking alternative support but acknowledged uncertainty about financing the upcoming semester. The university previously suspended operations for a semester following changes in U.S. aid policy under the Trump administration and closed its Qatar campus. This year, budget constraints forced layoffs of more than 40 employees and reduced student admissions.
Students spoke of the university’s importance amid shrinking opportunities. Sara, a 26-year-old computer science student who resumed her education after an eight-year hiatus, described AUAF as her sole path forward. Many local alternatives are unaffordable, and employment opportunities for women without degrees remain limited. Another student, Katayoon Sultani, expressed frustration at the university’s precarious situation as she manages her coursework alongside freelance work.
Among the roughly 200 male students, some like Mohammad Numan Zullah, who earned his M.B.A. in May, have seen professional benefits. Zullah expects to take a job with the Japan International Cooperation Agency, citing his degree as essential to securing employment. He noted that while male students may find alternative educational or career paths, options for women are severely constrained under current conditions.
The State Department indicated it remains committed to supporting educational initiatives for Afghan women through other partners deemed capable of responsibly managing programs but offered no detailed timeline or concrete alternatives for AUAF students. With the university’s future uncertain, many Afghan students, particularly women, face an increasingly limited landscape for higher education under the Taliban’s governance.