US and EU aim to kill UN college education subsidy
By Colum Lynch, Devex, December 5, 2025
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The Trump administration and European Union are pushing to eliminate the UN's educational grant program that provides up to $30,000 annually per child for college tuition to UN staffers working abroad. The benefit, which covers up to half of private American university tuition costs for foreign nationals at UN headquarters and Americans posted overseas, is targeted as part of broader austerity measures.
By Colum Lynch, Devex, December 5, 2025
Click here for the article
The Trump administration and European Union are pushing to eliminate the UN's educational grant program that provides up to $30,000 annually per child for college tuition to UN staffers working abroad. The benefit, which covers up to half of private American university tuition costs for foreign nationals at UN headquarters and Americans posted overseas, is targeted as part of broader austerity measures.
US Ambassador Jeff Bartos argues UN staff compensation must align with civil service benchmarks, noting UN employees out-earn government counterparts in every member state while receiving additional benefits including housing subsidies and tax exemptions.
The US proposal would end all college subsidies by January 2027, while the EU favors a phased approach grandfathering in students who began undergraduate studies by 2026. Both would preserve subsidies for primary and secondary education.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he has mitigated staff impact through voluntary separation packages and reassignments, predicting relatively few forced departures despite plans to eliminate 2,600 posts. The proposals face opposition from the Group of 77 developing nations coalition and would require approval from the UN General Assembly. Japan supports maintaining the subsidy.
"U.N. staff currently out-earn their civil service counterparts in every member state, including the United States, by wide margins on base salary alone. And unlike their civil service counterparts, many U.N. staff also receive generous housing subsidies, tertiary education grants for their children, and significant tax exemptions."
"It is my deep belief that, in the end, the number of members of the staff that will be released will be relatively small."1
"U.N. staff currently out-earn their civil service counterparts in every member state, including the United States, by wide margins on base salary alone. And unlike their civil service counterparts, many U.N. staff also receive generous housing subsidies, tertiary education grants for their children, and significant tax exemptions."
"It is my deep belief that, in the end, the number of members of the staff that will be released will be relatively small."1
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