The Evolution and Impact of Trump's Education Policies

The federal government's role in education has always been a subject of debate. Under the second presidency of Donald Trump, this debate intensified, marked by significant policy shifts and a re-evaluation of federal involvement in education. This article examines the key aspects of Trump's education policies, their potential consequences, and the ongoing discussions surrounding them.

Dismantling the Department of Education: A Central Theme

A recurring theme in Trump's education agenda was the desire to significantly reduce or even eliminate the Department of Education (ED). This idea, a long-standing Republican policy goal since the department's inception in 1980, aligns with a broader philosophy of reducing federal oversight and empowering state and local control over education.

The Push for Closure

During his presidency, Trump took concrete steps toward this goal, including signing an executive order directing the Secretary of Education to "facilitate the closure" of the department. The Trump administration sought to cut nearly all of its employees. Linda McMahon, appointed by President Donald Trump to be the United States secretary of education, stated that her primary objective would be to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education.

Legal and Logistical Hurdles

Despite these efforts, fully dismantling ED presents considerable legal and logistical challenges. The Department oversees billions of dollars in education funding, manages federal student loans, administers key programs such as special education, and enforces civil rights laws, including the Clery Act. Federal laws mandate ED's role in these areas, and any attempt to defund or abolish the department would likely face legal challenges and require congressional action. The Clery Act, which mandates transparency in campus crime reporting, enjoys strong bipartisan support.

Potential Consequences of Dismantling ED

If ED's responsibilities were shifted to an agency with no experience or knowledge, it would have direct consequences for both institutions and the faculty, staff, and students the Clery Act protects. Even if ED were dismantled, laws like the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and programs like Title I would continue to exist, requiring other agencies to assume ED's current responsibilities.

Read also: Impact of Trump on Student Debt

Shifting Control to States and Localities

Trump's policies reflected a desire to return control of education to state and local governments. This approach aligns with the principle that decisions about education should be made at the level closest to the students and communities they serve.

Emphasis on Local Control

By virtue of the Constitution’s silence on education, responsibility for running schools is left to the states. States are required by their constitutions to provide a public education, and many must meet certain standards, teach certain curricula, and provide student services. The Every Student Succeeds Act rightly reiterates that standards are the province of states, not the federal government.

Potential Benefits and Concerns

Advocates of local control argue that it allows for greater flexibility and responsiveness to the unique needs of individual communities. However, concerns have been raised that such a shift could lead to disparities in educational quality and resources across different states and districts.

Executive Orders and Policy Initiatives

The Trump administration utilized executive orders to implement various education policy changes. These orders covered a range of issues, from workforce development to diversity and inclusion in higher education.

Workforce Development

One executive order stated, "It is the policy of the United States to optimize and target Federal investments in workforce development to align with our country’s reindustrialization needs and equip American workers to fill the growing demand for skilled trades and other occupations." This reflects a focus on preparing students for the workforce and addressing the skills gap in certain industries.

Read also: The Impact on Education

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

Several executive orders targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in higher education. These orders aimed to identify institutions with endowments over $1 billion that the administration claimed violated federal civil rights laws due to DEI policies. The goal appeared to be to pressure colleges to roll back diversity efforts.

Impact on Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs)

The "Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions" order rescinded Biden-era executive orders, including those that provided targeted support for Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Tribal Colleges and Universities. The administration eliminated the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity Excellence and Economic Opportunity for Native Americans and Strengthening Tribal Colleges and Universities.

Higher Education Under Scrutiny

Trump's administration took a particularly active role in shaping policies related to higher education, including university accreditation, foreign funding, and campus speech.

Accreditation Reform

The administration expressed concerns about the existing accreditation system, arguing that it raised costs, favored legacy four-year institutions, and pushed universities in ideological directions. McMahon stated, "The existing accreditation monopoly raises costs, contributes to the ever-increasing tuition and fees faced by American families, favors legacy four-year institutions, blocks new accreditors from the market, interferes with states’ governing board decisions, and pushes universities in ideological directions when they should be focused on core subjects."

Foreign Funding Oversight

The administration increased scrutiny of foreign funding received by colleges and universities. The State Department now supports how McMahon’s agency monitors billions of dollars in foreign funding at colleges and universities. American colleges and universities have so far reported receiving more than $5.2 billion in foreign gifts and contracts. The State Department will help manage the Education Department’s new foreign funding reporting portal that tallies how much funding from overseas entities schools have reported receiving since 1986. The State Department would also provide “vital support” for related enforcement activities.

Campus Speech and Ideological Balance

The Trump administration sought to crack down on universities that it accused of antisemitism and that it perceived as having a left-wing bias that discriminates against conservative students. Multiple universities reached settlements with the administration, agreeing to its demands, including the suspension or expulsion of students who participated in 2024 pro-Palestinian campus occupations, taking steps to adopt pro-Israel policies (such as adopting the IHRA definition of antisemitism), paying fines, and enacting changes to its admissions policies.

Immigration and Education

Immigration-related policies also had a significant impact on education, particularly for international students and those registered under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Visa Restrictions

The order “Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats” enhances and tightens vetting for all visa applicants, including F-1 and J-1 students.

DACA and Undocumented Students

Given Trump’s previous efforts to dismantle DACA, future executive actions are expected targeting the program or those registered under DACA. In July 2025, the Trump administration moved to revoke access to the Head Start subsidized preschool program for undocumented immigrants and their families.

Student Loan Policies

Student loan policies were another area of focus for the Trump administration. The administration announced it would lift the 2020 pause on garnishing wages and federal payments (such as tax refunds, Social Security benefits) for student loan borrowers who are in default which could affect millions. In March 2025, Trump signed Executive Order 14235 to limit eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

Civil Rights and Title IX

The Trump administration's approach to civil rights in education involved significant changes to the enforcement of existing laws and regulations.

Rollback of Civil Rights Protections

The administration was accused of rolling back civil rights protections for transgender students and halting thousands of civil rights investigations. The Department of Education established an "end-DEI" portal to take complaints about DEI programs in K-12 schools.

Title IX Regulations

New rules on transgender student participation in athletics, a major Trump campaign focus, could be on the horizon.

Reactions and Responses

Trump's education policies sparked a wide range of reactions from educators, policymakers, and the public.

Institutional Responses

Many institutions felt compelled to “pre-comply” by scaling back DEI programs before the Department of Education issued guidance or began enforcement actions. However, campuses are encouraged to carefully assess their obligations-legal and otherwise-and mission-driven commitments before making changes.

Legal Challenges

Several of the administration's policies faced legal challenges, with some being struck down by the courts.

Concerns from Academics

In response to Trump's education policy, researchers, scientists, and post-docs are reportedly leaving or trying to leave the United States.

tags: #trump #education #policy