The Department of Education is a cabinet-level department of the US government and focuses on education around the country. The official website of the Department of Education says that its mission is “to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access for students of all ages.” This department helps administer federal grant programs, such as the Title I program and the federal student loan program. Recently, this department has been under the limelight, as former president Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election and has made several promises regarding the future of the Department of Education.
In Project 2025, a conservative policy framework, Trump has suggested removing the Department of Education and decentralizing educational oversight. According to Axios, “Project 2025 calls for redistributing various federal education programs across the government, while eliminating others or transferring them to the states.” Essentially, several of the responsibilities from the Department of Education would be transferred to other departments. For example, the responsibility of managing Title I may go to the Department of Health and Human Services.
People have expressed their concerns over the management of the federal student loan programs. After all, many college students rely on this program to attend their college. According to the Washington Post, “Theoretically, the federal government could drastically reduce the agency’s role in student borrowing. More likely, another government or quasi-governmental agency would take on the responsibility if the agency was eliminated.”
Closing the Department of Education has been a Republican goal for a long time but it may be difficult to get approval. According to the Washington Post, “Doing so would not only require congressional approval but also a supermajority of 60 votes in the Senate as long as its filibuster rules remain in place.” Due to the difficulty, many conservatives have recommended focusing on pressing conservative priorities, rather than closing the Department of Education.
