Philadelphia, PA — What happens if the White House makes good on promises to dismantle the federal Department of Education? Unsure? You are not alone and may be one of 43 million Americans who owe $1.75 trillion in federal and private student loan debt combined. Your student loans are at stake.
What does the Department of Education do?
Though the agency is accused of “indoctrinating young people with inappropriate racial, sexual, and political material,” the Department of Education does not operate U.S. schools or set curricula. The agency oversees student loan programs to support poor and disabled students. The Wall Street Journal cited a draft of the executive order aimed at dismantling the agency that said, “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Education Department” based on “the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law.”
But why do Republicans want to abolish it?
When Congress created the Department in 1979, it declared one of its purposes as “strengthening the Federal commitment to ensuring access to equal educational opportunity for every individual.” The idea of eliminating the education department has been floated not just now, but just a year after its creation. During Ronald Reagan’s 1980 presidential campaign, he pushed for it to be dismantled.
Now and again, the education department is accused of pushing “woke” political ideology on topics that include gender and race. The Department of Education helps fund programs to support students with disabilities and enforces civil rights laws to prevent race or sex-based discrimination in federally funded schools.
Supporting the move to dismantle the agency, Nicole Russell, USA TODAY columnist, Texan, and a mother of four said, “Removing federal bureaucrats from our schools and giving states and local school boards more flexibility in setting education policy will improve choices for parents like me.”
Can they just abolish it?
Technically yes, but only through legislation. At Congress, there are also concerns about gutting the Department of Education. Maine Republican Congresswoman Sen. Susan Collins said, “The decision on whether to abolish the department is one that only Congress can make. A unilateral executive order may not carry the authority to completely abolish the department.”
Abolishing the department requires a supermajority vote in the U.S. Senate, meaning 60 out of 100 senators would need to be on board. A vote last year to abolish the education department failed to pass, as 60 Republicans joined all Democrats to vote no. Republicans have a 53-47 majority in the Senate, so they would need at least seven Democrats to vote yes. That is highly unlikely.
So are we now good?
Not quite. Though only Congress can expressly get rid of the agency, executive actions could direct the agency to begin to wind itself down. By inherent presidential powers to appoint or remove agency heads and other officials, the current administration may still be able to upend the department’s allocation of $238 billion in fiscal year 2024 – less than 2% of the total federal budget – including stripping schools of critical funding, funneling federal dollars to private schools, and exerting less oversight for private charter schools.
What can you do?
By now you’ve already probably figured out your loans aren’t going anywhere, you’re probably wondering what all of this will mean for loans and repayment plans. A more pressing concern might be figuring out your next immediate steps— how will you adapt your budgets this summer? What are you going to do next semester, and how do you register for classes? You can start from any of these three steps:
1. Consider Your Options: If you are a prospective or enrolled student, take time to consider before committing to a major and degree. Research the monetization outcomes of your chosen field, including median salary ranges, growth opportunities, and industry demand, while also considering the cost of living in potential post-graduation locations.
2. Protect Your Loan Information: If you are a borrower in active repayment, protect and document your student loan information and progress towards forgiveness, in case of potential changes to the U.S. Department of Education. Download documentation and take screenshots!
3. Explore Repayment Options: If you have outstanding balances, not in active repayment or delinquent, call your student loan servicer to set up an affordable payment arrangement, such as Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plans, which base monthly payments on income and family size.
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