What a smaller US Education Department means for students, funding, and civil rights
The US Education Department has undergone significant reductions since President Trump took office, shrinking to about half its previous size. From roughly 4,000 employees at the start of the year, the department has cut over 1,300 jobs, with layoffs impacting almost every division. Despite these reductions, the department continues to play a central role in federal education policy and funding, affecting millions of students across the country.This downsizing has altered the department’s capacity to perform key functions, including distributing financial aid, enforcing civil rights laws, conducting education research, and administering student assessments. The ongoing changes have led to widespread effects on students, schools, and educational institutions nationwide, according to reporting by the New York Times.Major cuts affect funding and aid programsThe Education Department is responsible for distributing more than $224 billion annually, with over 70 percent dedicated to federal student aid. This includes approximately $90 billion in new loans and $39 billion in Pell Grants, which are awarded to low-income students and do not require repayment. The department also manages the federal work-study program and grants aimed at encouraging teaching in hard-to-staff subjects and schools.The layoffs have particularly impacted the Office of Federal Student Aid, which lost several hundred workers, limiting the department’s ability to efficiently manage these programs. Despite reductions, the department continues to provide financial aid to millions of students, but changes have raised concerns about the future of loan forgiveness programs and the overall support system for college attendance. As reported by the New York Times, President Trump has expressed intentions to restrict public-sector loan forgiveness and reduce the number of students attending four-year colleges.Civil rights enforcement and investigations scale backThe department’s Office for Civil Rights has also seen significant downsizing, with seven of its 12 regional offices closed. This office enforces anti-discrimination laws affecting students based on race, gender, disability, and sexual orientation. The department has pursued investigations into colleges and K-12 schools on issues such as antisemitism, gender policies, and racial equity. However, many of these efforts are tied up in litigation, with courts pausing some of the administration’s attempts to withhold funding from educational institutions.The New York Times reports that the department has taken a controversial approach, including challenging policies that allow transgender students to use bathrooms or play on sports teams matching their gender identity, arguing these violate girls’ rights under Title IX. At the same time, investigations into inadequate services for disabled students have declined after the firing of several government lawyers specializing in these cases.Research, testing, and federal oversight face reductionsIn addition to funding and civil rights work, the department’s role in educational research and student testing has been significantly scaled back. The National Center for Education Statistics, which tracks student achievement and compares US students to peers domestically and internationally, lost its longtime leader, Peggy Carr, as part of the administration’s restructuring. These cutbacks have limited the federal government’s ability to assess and improve education outcomes nationwide.The US Education Department was established in 1979 with the primary role of distributing financial aid and enforcing civil rights protections. Despite efforts by President Trump to reduce the agency’s size and influence, the department remains an essential source of funding and regulatory oversight for schools across the nation. Experts quoted by the New York Times note that efforts to fully dismantle the department face substantial opposition in Congress due to its critical role in supporting students and schools, including popular programs like Pell Grants and IDEA, which assists students with disabilities.TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here.
