US Withholds $25 Million Grant, Stranding 750 Women at AUAF

Laila woke in the night for water and found an email that altered her future. The United States will no longer fund the American University of Afghanistan, one of the final institutions where women in the country can pursue a degree. The student, who is in her mid-twenties and studies political science, identified her name as changed for safety. She is part of a student body of roughly 1,000, about three-quarters of whom are women.

The Taliban control the physical campus, forcing Laila and her peers to study through an online program. They join lectures from home, often using aliases and keeping cameras off. "I just know their voices," Laila said. Her path to this point began when the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. She was at another Kabul university with two exams remaining when the regime took control. A December 2022 ban on women's education left her degree unfinished until she won a scholarship to AUAF.

Fear dictates her daily routine. Some classmates have received threatening calls, and Laila worries that Taliban authorities might search her phone for university emails. She stated that officials have entered her home several times to inspect family belongings. "It's always in the back of my head that maybe tomorrow it's my turn," she said.

The university opened in 2006. Former US first lady Laura Bush announced the initial commitment, stating the school would train "future leaders," particularly women. Patrick Fine, the former Afghanistan mission director at USAID, said the Bush administration viewed the project as a way to stabilize the young democracy and build goodwill for the interim government. He noted that some at the agency considered the idea risky, while critics called it a waste of money.

Scrutiny of the university's finances increased in Washington. US inspectors opened an investigation in 2016. By 2018, they reported that poor accounting made it impossible to determine exactly how aid money was spent. John Sopko, the former federal inspector who oversaw the probe, told DW: "I was surprised they were still funding AUAF."

The State Department press office told DW that the decision to cut funding reflects the university's "history of repeated lack of accountability for millions of American taxpayer dollars." Fine rejected this explanation as "smear tactics." He acknowledged that earlier audits found the university struggling with USAID's extensive rules but said they "didn't find major fraud." He called the university "a worthy investment" because it remains one of the few organizations reaching Afghan women.

The United States has long paid most of the bills, covering nearly 90% of costs as of 2018 according to a US report. The State Department said the university is "free to identify other funders and partners," meaning the end of American taxpayer money does not guarantee the end of operations. However, the refusal of the $25 million grant leaves the university's financial future uncertain.

For Laila, the news has been crushing. "I have lost all my motivation and hope," she said. She adds that each time she prepares for a lecture, she wonders if another will follow. She has barely left her room since learning of the cut. Laila had expected to graduate years ago and study for a master's degree abroad. Now she thinks she may find a way in five or ten years.