WASHINGTON – In a move to uphold a longstanding campaign pledge, President Donald Trump is preparing to enact an executive order on Thursday aimed at dismantling the Education Department. This federal agency has long been a focus for Republicans seeking its closure.
According to the White House, Education Secretary Linda McMahon will be tasked with overseeing the department’s closure process. Despite this, her role will include ensuring that the delivery of pivotal services, programs, and benefits remains uninterrupted.
The complete dissolution of the Education Department would require substantial legislative action from Congress. Since the inauguration of the Trump administration, the department has seen a reduction of its staff by half and a significant alteration in its operational framework. Led by Trump advisor Elon Musk, the Department of Government Efficiency has terminated several contracts branded as “woke” and inefficient, along with severely reducing the Institute of Education Sciences which is responsible for tracking national academic progress.
Financial distribution stands as one of the department’s primary functions, funneling billions in federal assistance to educational institutions and managing a federal student loan portfolio. Closing its doors implies shifting these responsibilities to other agencies. Moreover, the department also regulates critical student services, aiding those with disabilities and economically disadvantaged or homeless students.
Federal educational funding plays a central role in Trump’s educational reform agenda, which emphasizes reducing federal support to institutions promoting certain ideologies like critical race theory and inappropriate racial or sexual content. This plan extends incentives to states or schools that abolish teacher tenure and introduce universal school choice policies.
Though federal contributions only constitute about 14% of public school budgets, colleges and universities significantly rely on this funding for research grants and student financial aid.
Among the department’s various roles, one major component is the handling of student loans and financial aid. It administers around $1.5 trillion in student debt for more than 40 million borrowers, as well as oversees the Pell Grant for low-income students and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which allocates financial aid.
The Biden administration prioritized student loan forgiveness, leading efforts to cancel over $175 billion in loans for 4.8 million borrowers, despite an initial Supreme Court overturn of Biden’s loan cancellation attempt. These efforts have faced opposition from Republican quarters.
Civil rights enforcement is another critical area overseen through the Office for Civil Rights within the Education Department. This office investigates civil rights compliance issues, particularly concerning LGBTQ+ students and students of color. Under Trump, directives shifted to prioritize antisemitism, alongside opening investigations into institutions concerning transgender athletes’ participation in women’s sports.
Trump’s campaign promises included mandates to prevent racial discrimination in schools, often critiquing diversity and equity policies. This pledge extends to revoking transgender protections under Title IX, which touches on pronoun use and bathroom policies.
While the Education Department does not directly handle college accreditation, it supervises federally recognized accrediting agencies which endorse eligibility for education funding. Trump pointed to the need for reform in these areas, particularly following criticism of alleged political bias in Florida’s educational system. Previous efforts to alter accrediting agency statuses were rare and highly complex.
Substantial portions of the department’s funds support K-12 educational initiatives, like Title I for low-income schools and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Trump, however, suggested transferring these responsibilities to state governments, potentially phasing out existing funding structures.
The Heritage Foundation has proposed a plan in alignment with Trump’s vision, advocating for transferring oversight to the Department of Health and Human Services and ultimately converting funding into state-distributed grants without conditions.
