Trump Moves to Shut Down Education Department, Leaving Student Aid and Civil Rights in Limbo
In a big shake-up for education in the U.S., President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to shut down the Department of Education, following a mass firing of its employees. While Congress still has to approve a full dismantling, Trump’s move signals a major shift in federal education policy, with big questions about what happens next—especially for student aid and civil rights protections.
The order tells the Education Secretary to start winding down the department while making sure students and schools don’t lose access to key services. But with the department managing a whopping $1.6 trillion in student loans and handling civil rights enforcement in schools, critics are skeptical about how smoothly this transition will go.
Trump says the Small Business Administration (SBA) will take over the student loan program, despite the fact that the SBA itself just announced major staff cuts. This raises concerns about whether it can actually handle the massive task of managing federal student loans. Education experts warn that if loans are shifted to private banks, low-income students could face tougher borrowing conditions, like higher interest rates or stricter eligibility rules.
Another big shake-up? The Office of Civil Rights at the Department of Education might be moved to the Department of Justice. Given recent moves by the Trump Administration like slashing federal funding to universities over campus protests and policies on transgender athletes critics worry that civil rights enforcement in education is shifting toward political agendas rather than student protections.
Meanwhile, education research funding is also on the chopping block. The Institute of Education Sciences, which has funded millions in research at places like Harvard, is facing massive cuts, leaving the future of federal education research uncertain.
With so many unanswered questions, Trump’s latest move is fueling major concerns about how higher education will function moving forward especially for students who rely on federal aid and protections.
Higher Ed on Edge: Trump’s Plan to Dismantle Education Department Stirs Uncertainty
