Department of Education/ Source Google Photos
When was the Department established and which Roles does it perform?
Department of Education was founded in 1979 as a cabinet position by President Jimmy Carter, the Education Department gives Title I funds to elementary and secondary schools with significant low-income student populations; collects data on schools; accrediting agencies and programs that support higher education institutions; protects students from racial and sex-based discrimination; and handles student financial aid programs, including loans and grants.
According to an unverified annual report by Federal Student Aid, the department awarded $120.8 billion in federal loans, grants and work-study funds in fiscal year 2024 to over 9.9 million college and career school students.
The U.S. Department of Education has been under fire lately due to problems like the botched launch of a simplified Free Application for Federal Student Aid and legal battles over student loan forgiveness during the Biden administration. Closing the Department of Education would mean shutting down several programs, including funding for students with disabilities, poverty and disbursing student loans and grants.
Donald Trump/ source; Google photos
Can Donald Trump shut Down the Department?
Donald Trump cannot eliminate the Department of Education because an act of Congress created it, and only Congress can do so. Congress isn’t going to get rid of the department since Republicans only have 53 votes in the Senate, and a 60-vote. The president can’t just eliminate the Department of Education because an act of Congress created it. Only Congress can get rid of it. Congress isn’t going to get rid of the department since Republicans only have 53 votes in the Senate and a 60-vote super majority is required.
Donald Trump seeks an executive order to close the US Department of Education, a longstanding aim among conservatives. The action would fulfill a commitment he pledged during his election campaign. As reported by US media outlets, President Trump plans to dissolve specific programs within the Department of Education while transferring others to different government agencies.
However, while the president can’t shut down the entire department, the Trump administration is already taking steps to end specific functions and programs. Elon Musk’s DOGE team has begun dismantling the department, cancelling contracts and firing staff. Congress can also slash the department’s budget through budget reconciliation, which only requires a simple majority. “Getting rid of PLUS loans, Student Loan Interest Deduction, [American Opportunity Tax Credit], [Lifetime Learning Credit], borrower defense to repayment, closed school discharge and parts of PSLF could be done through budget reconciliation,” Kantrowitz said.
The Republican. Source Google Photos.
Why do Republicans want to get rid of it?
The idea of getting rid of the department has been around for as long as it’s been. Ronald Reagan campaigned on it in 1980. Republicans have always been against centralizing education policy, they think it’s better left to the states and localities. More recently they’ve accused the department of pushing “woke” politics on kids, on gender and race. Trump’s allies want to expand school choice, allowing students and families to use public money to choose private or religious schools instead of public schools. Conservatives say other department functions, such as loans, should be handled by the US Department of Treasury, and civil rights complaints should be handled by the Department of Justice.
