Trump Administration To Restart Collections on Defaulted Student Loans
On April 21, the Department of Education announced that it would resume collections on defaulted federal student loans, making a clear break from student loan policy under President Joe Biden, who consistently worked to forgive or pause federal student loan payments even as he faced legal defeat.
Fact Check Team: Understanding President Trump's education overhaul and budget cuts
Concerns and questions are mounting following President Donald Trump's signing of an executive order to begin dismantling the Department of Education and shift control to the states. While the order initiates the process, it would take an act of Congress to completely shut the department down.
Colleges and Universities Have Received Nearly $60 Billion in Foreign Gifts and Contracts, Watchdog Finds
American colleges and universities have received close to $60 billion in foreign gifts and contracts over a decades-long span, according to a new watchdog report.
Americans for Public Trust, a right-leaning dark money watchdog, found the nearly $60 billion of foreign money has gone into hundreds of colleges and universities, with 10 elite schools raking in a third of the money, raising concerns about national security and a lack of compliance with disclosure laws.
Trump says Education Department will no longer oversee student loans, 'special needs'
President Donald Trump continued the unwinding of the U.S. Department of Education on Friday, announcing that the management of the entire federal student loan portfolio and of the department's "special needs" programs would be moved to other federal agencies effective immediately.
Appearing in the Oval Office with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trump said, "I've decided that the SBA, the Small Business Administration, headed by Kelly Loeffler, a terrific person, will handle all of the student loan portfolio. We have a portfolio that's very large," Trump said.
Department of Education significantly dismantled in new Trump executive order
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to scale down the Department of Education — a move that is expected to spur lawsuits challenging the directive and will likely require Congressional approval.
Trump frequently has discussed plans to nix the Department of Education dating back to the campaign trail, and said in September 2024 that he wanted to cut down on the federal government’s influence over education to "stop the abuse of your taxpayer dollars to indoctrinate America’s youth."
President Trump signs order aimed at dismantling the Department of Education
President Donald Trump ordered his administration on Thursday to dismantle the Department of Education, looking to achieve a top campaign promise, although the White House acknowledged the agency can't ‒ and won't – entirely be dissolved.
Flanked by more than a dozen students seated at school desks, Trump signed the long-anticipated executive order at a ceremony in the White House's East Room attended by several Republican governors and state education commissioners.
Trump Will ‘Greatly Minimize’ Education Department With Executive Order—But Student Loans, Pell Grants Will Be Under Federal Control
President Donald Trump will sign an executive order Thursday that will make the Department of Education “much smaller than it is today,” but keep some “critical functions,” such as Title I and student loans, under federal control, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, confirming previous reports Trump will implement the long-promised order later in the day.
Ron DeSantis: Good Riddance to the U.S. Education Department
President Trump’s election represented a mandate for change. This change includes putting American excellence back at the forefront of education policy and ridding ourselves of bureaucratic handcuffs that stifle success.
Mr. Trump can empower states to manage education policy by removing the cumbersome bureaucracy that has become the hallmark of the U.S. Department of Education. Abolishing the department and reinvigorating state control of education would enable states like Florida to serve better the needs of students, parents and teachers.
Education Department probing 50-plus universities for ‘illegal discrimination’ with DEI
The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has initiated investigations into more than 50 universities over allegations of “race-exclusionary practices” as part of its crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion in academia.
The department said Friday that 45 universities are under scrutiny for their involvement with a program that seeks to increase minority representation among faculty and students in graduate business programs.
Education Department Laying Off Half Its Workforce as Trump Prepares to Abolish Agency
The Department of Education is laying off about 50 percent of its workforce starting this week as President Donald Trump prepares to formally abolish the agency through a planned executive order.
The job cuts affect roughly 1,300 career employees, who were told to turn in government property and clean out their desks before leaving. Nearly 600 employees who voluntarily resigned or retired are included in the reduction-in-force action. The mass layoffs were announced on Tuesday evening.