Trump Signs Executive Order to Begin Dismantling Department of Education
Credit: Win McNamee / Getty Images- President Trump signed an order that aims to continue to whittle down the Department of Education.
- Officials said this action will not impact the department’s financial aid functions.
- The department had already cut nearly half of its staff since Trump took office.
- Congress has the final say in whether to completely dissolve the department.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on March 20 that begins the process of dismantling the Department of Education (ED).
This is the latest step his administration has taken to make good on a campaign promise to close the department and “return education to the states.” Trump’s order comes after his administration slashed staffing levels at ED, going from 4,133 to roughly 2,183 workers in just seven weeks.
“Instead of maintaining the status quo that is failing American students, the Trump Administration’s bold plan will return education where it belongs — with individual states, which are best positioned to administer effective programs and services that benefit their own unique populations and needs,” the White House said in a statement.
Legal experts have said that the White House cannot unilaterally shutter the department, however.
It would take congressional action to completely erase ED. Congress established the department in 1979 under then-President Jimmy Carter. Many Republicans have since called for the department to close, but none of those efforts have made it this far.
ED plays a key role in the U.S. higher education system.
Notably, ED houses the Office for Federal Student Aid (FSA), which oversees federal student aid programs across the country, including distributing federal student loans and Pell Grants. FSA also runs the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) allowing college students to apply for financial aid, so shuttering the department could impact financial aid awards.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said ED will continue to manage student loans and Pell Grants. Just before signing the order, Trump reiterated that Pell Grants would be “fully preserved.”
ED also oversees the distribution of grants to colleges and universities across the country.
While Trump’s threats to withhold funding from Columbia University and other Ivy League schools grab headlines, federal funding is especially important for minority-serving institutions, including historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
The department also houses the Office for Civil Rights (OCR). The Center for American Progress worries that if this office is closed or diminished, college students may have no recourse if they are being discriminated against.
Just over one week after she was confirmed by the U.S. Senate, ED Secretary Linda McMahon announced she would cut nearly 50% of the department’s workforce — nearly 2,000 employees.
Education unions, think tanks, and advocates have promised lawsuits to try and stymie Trump’s executive order to end ED, especially in light of recent court actions that paused White House orders to wind down other departments and agencies.
However, many congressional Republicans seemed open to closing the department during McMahon’s confirmation hearing, so a bill to move key ED functions to other departments is possible. Rep. Tim Walberg, chair of the House Education & the Workforce Committee, attended Trump’s executive order signing event, as well as nine Republican governors from across the U.S.
According to a February survey from New America, 55% of American adults oppose eliminating the Department of Education. Just 26% were in favor of eliminating it, including 51% of Republicans.