In a sudden jolt to adult education in Southwest Colorado, the Durango Adult Education Center stands at the edge of a financial cliff after a federal budget bill—recently signed into law by President Donald Trump—threatens to strip away its lifeline funding. With two key federal grants on the verge of vanishing and zero support from state channels this year, the nonprofit braces for a 40% funding drop, risking staff cuts, fewer classes, and heavier reliance on unpaid help. A quiet educational crisis now brews beneath the political spotlight.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Federal budget bill signed by President Trump jeopardizes two major grants for adult education in Durango.

• Durango Adult Education Center expects 40% budget cut, totaling $400,000.

• Funding loss would primarily impact teacher salaries and force layoffs of up to six additional staff.

• No state funding received this year, despite record student success rates.

• Nonprofit will turn to volunteer instructors and private donors, but faces stiff competition amid wider regional cuts.

Nonprofit that supports adult learners across Southwest Colorado prepares for significant cuts to programs and staffing following federal policy changes

The Durango Adult Education Center, a key educational lifeline for adult learners across five counties in Southwest Colorado, is now preparing to face some of its most serious financial challenges in recent memory. This comes in the wake of a newly passed federal budget reconciliation bill signed into law last week by President Donald Trump, which effectively strips away two of the organization’s primary sources of federal funding.

At the heart of the matter are two federal grants — one aimed at supporting English language learning and the other dedicated to general adult education. According to Susan Hakanson, executive director of the center, both of these crucial funding streams are now in jeopardy. The implications are far-reaching, potentially leading to sharp reductions in educational offerings, further staff layoffs, and a significant shift in the way the nonprofit operates.

“The language in the bill eliminates all funding for programs that focus on English language learning,” Hakanson explained.
“That’s one of our core grant sources. The second one, which we use for broader adult education, is also on the line.”

These grants, she noted, are part of four-year federal funding cycles and had formed the foundation of the center’s financial planning for 2026 and beyond. With both now expected to disappear, the center is bracing for a 40% cut to its overall budget — a loss totaling around $400,000.

“That’s a giant chunk,” Hakanson said.
“And it almost exclusively would have gone toward teacher salaries.”

Founded in 1987, the Durango Adult Education Center has served as a bridge to opportunity for adults working to earn their high school equivalency diplomas or improve their English language skills. For many in rural and underserved communities, the center represents the only accessible educational support system geared toward adults. The looming cuts, therefore, threaten not just the organization’s sustainability but the broader mission of fostering self-sufficiency through education.

The blow from the federal level comes on top of another financial disappointment closer to home. In previous years, the center received between $90,000 and $130,000 in annual support through state-administered grants, which themselves were funded via federal channels. This year, however, that support vanished entirely.

“We had a very, very good year with student success and student numbers,” Hakanson said, pointing to positive outcomes and increased participation.
“And we did not receive anything from the state of Colorado. So that compounds what’s going on, and a lot of that’s been driven by what’s going on at the federal level.”

The consequences have already begun to materialize. Earlier this year, the center was forced to lay off four part-time instructors when state funds dried up. Now, if the expected federal cuts are confirmed, an additional four to six teaching positions will likely be eliminated.

“We’re going to try and serve students the very best we can,” she said.
“But we’re definitely going to look different from how we have for many years.”

Looking ahead, Hakanson anticipates the organization will need to scale back significantly on course offerings and return to a model that leans more heavily on volunteer instructors — a structure the center had previously moved away from as it expanded.

“We’ve spent years building a strong professional teaching team,” she said.
“But now we’ll have to lean back on volunteers just to keep programs running.”

Despite the funding crisis, the center is determined to press forward. Hakanson said the organization will begin turning to private donors and partner organizations in hopes of recouping some of the lost funding. Still, she acknowledged that replacing nearly half a million dollars in federal money will be difficult, if not impossible.

“We’ll do what we can, but you can’t just replicate that level of funding overnight,” she said.
“And with so many nonprofits also affected by these cuts, the competition for private support will be intense.”

That concern extends well beyond her own organization. Hakanson warned that numerous other nonprofits in the region — across a range of sectors — rely on the same federal revenue streams that are now disappearing. The resulting strain could significantly limit services in education, healthcare, housing, and more.

“We are not the only types of services that are losing funding,” she said.
“I’m anticipating that many, many of our regional nonprofits will also be losing federal and state funding that they’ve relied on over the years to do some really essential things. I think that there will be a fair number of services that are no longer offered in our region.”

As the Durango Adult Education Center prepares for an uncertain future, its leadership remains committed to its core mission — helping adults gain the tools to improve their lives through education. But how that mission will be fulfilled in the coming years remains in serious question.