While the benefits of formal education on HIV are well understood, funding of education sector activities for HIV is frequently fraught with challenges. These challenges are likely to increase due to the current global financial crisis. It is therefore essential that program managers understand the evolving funding architecture, and how the education sector can position itself during these turbulent times. The present symposium was organized to provide a forum to discuss the financing of HIV in the education sector, with a specific focus on the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria. It was attended by around 45 participants comprising of members of the UNAIDS Inter-agency Task Team on Education, UNAIDS Secretariat and co-sponsor staff, as well as other members of civil society.