On March 20, President Donald Trump handed down an executive order to roll back the Department of Education in the United States. While abolishing the federal Education Department was one of Trump’s consistent promises on the campaign trail in the leadup to the 2024 presidential election, his executive order has still caught many college students by surprise, sparking concerns about how a potential shutdown could affect them.
When signing the order in the East Room of the White House, Trump said he’d begin dismantling the DOE “once and for all” — and soon. “We’re going to shut it down, and shut it down as quickly as possible,” he said, per the New York Times.
While the order does not mandate a complete closure of the department (the White House said it will still handle certain critical things like federal student aid, Title I funding for low-income schools, and civil rights enforcement), Trump is calling for the bulk of the organization to disband.
In a statement following the signing, the Department of Education called the executive order a “history-making action,” per the BBC, and said it will “free future generations of American students and forge opportunities for their success.”
Not everyone feels nearly that optimistic about the decision, though.
“This is a dark day for the millions of American children who depend on federal funding for a quality education, including those in poor and rural communities with parents who voted for Trump,” NAACP President Derrick Johnson said in a statement about the executive order, per AP News.
Here’s what to know about Trump’s executive order to end the Department of Education, including whether it will actually happen (because some think the order is super illegal), and what could happen to colleges if it does.
What Does The Department Of Education Do For Colleges?
To understand what’s at stake if the Department of Education goes away, it’s important to know the services it has provided since its inception. The DOE has roots that date back to the 1800s, but was modernized during President Jimmy Carter’s administration in 1979 to address inequities and standardize quality education across all U.S. states. The DOE gives funding to public and private schools, from K-12 to higher education.
Beyond giving money to schools directly, the DOE oversees programs that support college students. The Federal Student Aid office gives out millions of dollars in grants each year, and also administers the FAFSA, which millions of students rely on to obtain federal financial aid for college. The Education Department is also in charge of two programs to help low-income students attend college: the federal student loan program and Pell Grants. If the Department of Education indeed goes away, many of its functions will fall into limbo.
Can Trump actually end the Department of Education?
It’s imperative to note that Trump alone can’t abolish the DOE with this executive order. Because the department was started by Congress rather than a president, it will require Congressional approval to get rid of, likely in the form of a bill.
Republicans are largely in support of shifting away from the DOE and revamping the whole education system. However, according to the New York Times, nearly two-thirds of voters oppose closing the DOE, per recent public opinion polls. So, it’s possible that some Republican representatives will vote according to their constituents’ desires, rather than siding with Trump.
Plus, even if a proposed bill goes through the House this year, it would require a supermajority vote in the Senate, meaning 60 out of 100 Senators voting in favor of it. With Republicans only having 53 Senate seats, and with Democrats being widely against getting rid of the DOE, that’s unlikely.
My statement on Trump’s despicable attempt to eliminate the Department of Education: pic.twitter.com/2ob7HcbUeR
— Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (@RepRashida) March 20, 2025
Plus, as evidenced in Johnson’s statement, the DOE still has very vocal advocates who are ready to fight for the department’s future. “This executive order is nothing more than an illegal overreach of executive power designed to unemploy dedicated civil servants and decimate the critical services they provide to millions of Americans across this country,” Sheria Smith, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 252 union, said in a statement, per Mother Jones. “It also cannot be understated that it seems this administration is hell-bent on eliminating the much-needed accountability and oversight the Department of Education provides.”
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, shared her intentions to fight the executive order in a public statement to Trump: “See you in court.”
What could happen to higher education if the Department of Education is dismantled?
The dismantling of the DOE, if it goes through, wouldn’t just magically dissolve the responsibilities of the department, like managing student loans. It would, however, likely pass on many responsibilities to different government agencies — and do away with some responsibilities entirely.
It will most definitely affect future college students, too: If the government decides to give less federal money to the programs that make college more affordable, students starting college may have to turn to private lenders, which might mean significantly higher interest rates. This also means that former President Joe Biden’s platform of student loan forgiveness will likely fall by the wayside.
The DOE also oversees grants that public universities receive, with many of them being specifically intended for HBCUs, veterans, and graduate students. With Trump being vocal about ending DEI initiatives in education, it’s likely that whatever department is tasked with supplying these grants would be far more selective than past administrations, or maybe even eliminate them altogether.
Unfortunately, the future of the DOE is still extremely uncertain, so students will have to stay vigilant about any developments in this story. In the meantime, those who feel strongly about this decision would do well to contact their representatives to voice their opinions.