Trump Administration Could Be Axing Department of Education Soon: What Does The Department of Education Do?

Several sources close to the Trump administration say that he will likely soon dissolve the Department of Education. What’s the point of the department at a federal level?

The Department’s History

The Department of Education was established in 1980. The department takes on several issues. While schools are funded mainly by the states they are located in, federal money is provided to schools to assist in their goals. For example, federal funds were used in Pennsylvania to assist in costs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Federal funds also helped with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The ESSA helps protect disadvantaged and children with special needs. It also holds schools to a higher standard of learning. More on the ESSA can be found here.

The department also provides grants. Readers familiar with FAFSA will remember filling out those forms each year. The Department of Education offers that service. For readers unfamiliar, FAFSA or the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is a website where college or university students can apply for financial aid. This service also educates students on student loans.

Along with those above, the department provides school districts with federally funded research and evaluations to help better the lessons taught. 

What Harm Does The Dissolving Of The Department Do?

While all schools will be impacted in some way, this closure would hurt several groups of Americans. The ESSA would be gone. That means funding for children in impoverished communities would be missing out on programs that assist with their education. As stated, the ESSA also works with special needs children. That funding would also be gone. This would also hurt the education of disabled children under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Switching to the adult student in America, grants and loan information would be gone since the department runs FAFSA. This could lead to students looking forward to getting their higher education, deciding not to because of the lack of federal assistance.

Featured photo by Joshua Roberts / Reuters