On Thursday, March 20, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, following through on his long-standing opposition to the agency. Trump has targeted the department since his campaign citing concerns over bureaucracy and liberal influence. Before the order, his administration had already downsized the agency, significantly reducing staff and making cuts to the Office for Civil Rights and the Institute of Education Sciences.
For Trump to abolish the DOE entirely, he would need congressional approval, which may be difficult. Last year, the U.S. House of Representatives voted on a bill to abolish the department, which failed significantly, with 60 House Republicans joining the Democrats in opposing the bill. In January, Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY 4) reintroduced a bill to abolish the Department, which is still waiting to be voted on.
The DOE, which has been operating since 1980 under former President Jimmy Carter, has overseen actions such as recommending reforms, preventing discrimination and ensuring equal access to education. It also oversees all federal student loans, Pell Grants and Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).
The intention of the order is to begin the process of removing the DOE entirely and turn the authority over education back to the states. This means that each state would now have the power to dictate curriculum and other key educational functions without federal oversight.
Trump is also pushing to close the department as part of a grander initiative to cut ‘unnecessary’ funding. Last year, the DOE spent $268 billion, about 4% of federal spending.
“It’s scary to think about what will happen to curriculum regarding history, culture and civics with no one overseeing its guarantee,” an anonymous FSU College of Education student said. “I’m not sure that’s an environment I can one day be proud to work in.”
Florida, among other states, has been passing legislation over the past few years to change or erase certain curricula from public schools, such as discussions about the LGBTQIA+ community. Some of these bills have been caught up in litigation for months or years after their passing, due to restrictions on discrimination through the DOE. Under the new guidelines, however, states would have the power to pass curriculum restrictive laws as seen fit by state legislators and governors.
The order sparked questions regarding federal grants and loans to support students’ education, especially at the collegiate level. Over 10 million university students in America received support from federal financial aid and resources last academic year, and over 86% of students at Florida State University received some type of non-loan financial support from the government.
The order is said to retain certain critical functions of the DOE within its power, such as a commitment to supporting Title 1 funding for low-income schools, Pell Grants and money for children with disabilities. However, other language in the order suggests otherwise, saying that the department no longer has the staff to oversee the disbursement of the trillions in loan money it manages, suggesting that the responsibility should be handed over to another federal entity.
“FSU is dedicated to finding new and different ways to support our students, and we will do everything in our power to provide the necessary support to ensure their academic success and future opportunities,” Senior Director of the Florida State University Office of Communications Amy Farnum-Patronis said. “We are proud that FSU students graduate with some of the lowest debt in the nation, and we will continue to work to make an FSU degree more affordable and accessible for all.”
Research universities, such as FSU, also saw a massive cut to research funding from the federal government, particularly in medical and scientific fields. This may greatly effect the production of research at the university level, as many projects and colleges rely on this federal funding. Experts are now concerned that this may lead to “a lost generation of scientists.”
“Our leadership team is actively working to understand the scope of new directives, analyze their impacts and thoughtfully align our actions with emerging guidance,” FSU President Richard McCullough said in a statement. “Each day, we are in constructive conversations with state and federal officials, higher education associations, peer institutions, our Board of Trustees and the State University System of Florida.”
FSU students are also looking toward the actions of the Student Government Association (SGA) regarding these changes, hoping to see their elected student leaders support their education.
“I’m hoping SGA will support students with these new educational changes,” an anonymous College of Arts & Sciences student said. “We elected them to represent us and our voices so this will be a test to see if they will actually do that.”
FSView contacted the Office of the Student Body President regarding this situation, but did not receive a response.
This is still a developing situation and further governmental action will need to be taken for the DOE to be abolished.
“What remains unchanged are our core values. We are unwavering in our commitment to the success of our faculty, staff and students, and we will continue to champion and invest in the advancement of our academic, research and service missions,” McCullough said. “We are moving forward with confidence, making informed decisions that position us strongly for the future.”
