Recently, the Trump Administration issued an executive order dismantling the Department of Education (DOE). This executive order is just the latest in a string of attacks on university students, following a 50% reduction in DOE’s workforce on March 14th.
For university students, it can be hard to see what influence the Department of Education has on your life. No matter where you fall on the political spectrum, it’s important for you to understand the critical functions the DOE provides. At almost every moment in your educational journey, whether it be disability support, a Title IX complaint, Upward Bound, FAFSA, or Pell Grants, you have directly benefited from the work of the Department of Education.
First, it is important to note these critical functions will not disappear because of these executive orders. Instead, they will be reshuffled to other departments. Disability-related education needs will be handled by the Department of Health and Human Services, while student loans will move to the Small Business Administration (SBA). But even these moves create problems for students. SBA recently cut its workforce by 46%. To heap the massive work of managing the $1.8 trillion student loan portfolio onto the SBA has alarmed experts who warn that this move will be costly, confusing, and harmful for student loan borrowers.
Students deserve stability. Just last year, students faced issues with the chaotic “simplified” FAFSA. But FAFSA isn’t the only critical program held by the Department. TRIO, Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math and Science, Upward Bound Veterans, and Pell Grants are all important and politically popular programs housed within the Department of Education that are in trouble as this administration continues to sow chaos in our institutions.
Our concerns don’t end with the Department of Education. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which monitors fraud and acts on behalf of students, is fighting to keep its funding. Without CFPB oversight, students will be more vulnerable to financial abuse and fraud, undoubtedly causing more students to default on their loans. Similarly, student researchers are struggling to maintain funding, as cuts to the NIH and the NSF have directly harmed students who support communities through critical health and science research.
In meetings with our students, we’ve heard a clear message: students at the seven Minnesota State Universities are worried. They are worried about what will happen to their federal loans, the Pell Grants they rely on, and critical programs like Upward Bound and Student Support Services. Some are worried whether or not they will be able to finish their degrees. At this critical moment when institutions are finally rebounding from pandemic enrollment declines, shuffling or eliminating critical functions of the federal government will only harm students of the past, present, and future.
With the disruptions to the Department of Education, CFPB, the NIH, and the NSF, the federal government is setting students up to fail. This administration's agenda targets low-income, first-generation college students and punishes them for pursuing a college education and the American Dream.
In the face of these unprecedented attacks, Students United will continue to engage our members in the fight for an equitable, fair, and affordable higher education for all students. We call on elected leaders of both parties to stand with us in this pivotal moment.
–Sierra Roiger, State Chair and Thomas Anderson, Executive Director Support us in our fight for programs that support student success. Tell your federal legislators to support students today.