Within his first 100 days in office, President Donald Trump has been successful in his plan to abolish the U.S. Department of Education, which has sparked national debate regarding the future of education for low-income students and eligibility for student loans.
The Department of Education was resurrected in 1979 during the presidency of Jimmy Carter. This organization was initially created after the Civil War as a means of reconstruction but soon collapsed due to the pressure of Southern politicians. Fifty years ago, the main goal of the DOE was to implement and ensure civil rights. Today, the DOE aids in funding schools, student loans, and upholding student standards. Trump argues that the department has trespassed its limits by placing itself into trivial matters and by promoting what he calls “woke ideology” across the country. His conservative-aligned goal is to return educational policies back to each state and its local government.
During recent press conferences, Trump repeatedly expressed his stance on the matter: “We’re going to be returning education very simply back to the states where it belongs.”
In recent news, the DOE released a statement in response to the President’s statement that abolishing the DOE could have consequences for millions of students.
Previous Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, has denounced Trump’s plan during a ceremony honoring the Council of Chief State School Officers’ 2023 Teachers of the Year in the Rose Garden of the White House, stating that “[this proposal] would be taking us backward.” He emphasized that these cuts would immensely impact students originating from low-income families and those with disabilities.
On the other hand, Republican officials and conservative advocates have been all for the new proposals, stating that individual states should have full power and control over teaching curriculums and funding appointments.
“It’s time to give control back to parents, not woke bureaucrats, and empower them to start a new era of openness in education,” said Senator Josh Hawley during a press release in November 2021, involving his proposal of Parents’ Bill of Rights. “You are attempting to intimidate them, you are attempting to silence them, you are attempting to interfere with their rights as parents and, yes, with their rights as voters.”
This sparked a debate that federal relations in schools are not new. According to the U.S. Department of Education’s official history page, before the creation of the DOE, education was primarily controlled by the states, leading to disparities in funding and quality of education. The agency was created to enforce and ensure that standards regarding education were being upheld nationwide. Previously, under the Trump administration, efforts were made to lessen the department’s control, including attempts to cut funding and appoint more responsibilities to the states. According to a 2021 Brooking’s Institution Report, this same federal intervention has aided in bringing in more educational opportunities for students.
Programs such as Title I, which funds low-income schools, and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) support have ensured access to resources that states might not otherwise provide. Eliminating the DOE raises concerns from educational advocacy-based programs like the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) regarding how these programs would be maintained.
Education policy experts warn that dismantling the DOE could lead to a system where education quality would depend entirely on state funding and governance. According to a 2021 Brooking’s Institution Report, and others such as the National Student Loan Borrowers Coalition and The Institute for College Access and Success are worried about the future for student loans. One function of the DOE is to regulate the student aid/loan program. This program provides tons of funding through grants and loans. If eliminated, the responsibility for student aid could be put into states or private institutions, which can possibly reduce access to such for many students.
On March 20, 2025, he signed an executive order that directed Education Secretary Linda McMahon to begin closing the department and returning educational authority to the states. Trump’s plan to eliminate the DOE would require approval from Congress. Currently, the department has implemented significant staff reductions, laying off nearly half of its workforce. At the start of President Trump’s presidency, 4,133 workers were recorded in the departments’ workforce. As of March 11, 1,950 workers have been displaced from their jobs, including roughly 600 workers who accepted voluntary resignation. Leaving 2,183 workers in the department. Employees impacted by the reduction were placed on administrative leave as of March 21.
However, the DOE has not been fully eliminated, and its complete end remains uncertain. Representative Thomas Massie has introduced a bill, H.R. 899, to end the department by the end of 2026, but similar efforts have previously failed to gain enough support. The agency plans to transfer its key functions to other federal agencies. For instance, the management of the $1.6 trillion federal student loan section is proposed to be moved to the Small Business Administration. However, such transitions pose logistical challenges and can face resistance from both within and outside of the government.
