What we know now about Trump’s executive order on Education Department
Now that President Trump has signed an executive order to dismantle the Education Department, what happens next? Here is what we know now.
- President Donald Trump has signed an executive order expressing his desire to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.
- Dismantling the agency requires Congressional action, but Trump has already announced student loans will be handled by the Small Business Administration.
President Donald Trump on March 20 signed an executive order calling for the U.S. Department of Education to be dismantled with a desire to bring education back to the states, but the situation requires more than just a signature to disrupt the federal agency.
The University of Tennessee, like higher education institutions across the country, is waiting to see how these proposed sweeping changes will affect students and staff.
Trump has focused on dismantling the Department of Education since his time on the campaign trail, and his executive order is a step toward fulfilling his campaign promise. He’s already gutted the nearly 46-year-old agency by cutting jobs from 4,133 to 2,183, a significant blow to the agency established by Congress during President Jimmy Carter’s administration. Trump has hinted that new Secretary of Education Linda McMahon will put herself “out of a job” soon.
On March 21, Trump announced federal student loans would move from the Department of Education’s control to instead be handled by the Small Business Administration, while nutrition and special education services will move under the control of Health and Human Services. Both agencies have reduced their own staff, with the Small Business Administration cutting around 2,700 out of its approximately 6,500 positions, according to USA TODAY.
The SBA will be in charge of the $1.777 trillion student loan debt in the U.S. held by 42.7 million borrowers reported in 2024, according to the Education Data Initiative.
But the next steps are complicated, and the department’s actual role in education – including at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville – isn’t as simple as one might think.
How has the University of Tennessee responded to these changes?
The University of Tennessee is continuing to monitor the federal government and the rapid changes under Trump’s administration.
“This remains an extremely fluid situation, and we are closely monitoring developments related to the proposed dismantling of the Department of Education,” UT System spokesperson Tiffany Carpenter said in an email to Knox News. “Our top priority continues to be ensuring stability and continuity for our students, faculty, and staff. We are actively evaluating the implications of any new developments. While it’s too early to speculate on specific impacts, we are committed to minimizing disruptions and will remain proactive in advocating for policies and resources that support the success of our students and the integrity of our educational mission.”
On the topic of DEI, UT has changed its language to appear more inclusive without directly following DEI policies. UT Knoxville changed the name of diversity office to the Division of Access and Engagement in 2023, for example, and the UT System Board of Trustees approved a new statement of aspirations regarding discrimination at the end of February.
“The University of Tennessee was founded with a land-grant mission to serve the people of Tennessee through access and engagement. Two years ago, the university refocused and streamlined our approach for access to educational opportunities, removing barriers, and making academic pursuits more affordable,” Carpenter said. “At UT, we engage with individuals from all backgrounds and perspectives, fostering a vibrant learning environment where all members of the University community feel welcome, can thrive, and achieve success.”
UT is gathering data on how much funding the university system receives from the Education Department.
What are the next steps with the Department of Education?
Fully dismantling the department requires action from Congress. The executive order is only an expression of the president’s goal to dismantle the department.
Similarly, key federal programs for schools in the department can’t be removed unless Congress authorizes it by passing laws, which Trump is sidestepping with his announcement of the Small Business Administration taking over student loans.
If Trump were to try to bypass Congress, he could be met with blocks from federal court judges, similarly to the federal funding freeze he tried implementing in February.
Trump would need support in Congress to dismantle the department, including 60 votes in the U.S. Senate, which Republicans control but with only 53 seats. Bills to dismantle the Department of Education have been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, but both were moved to subcommittees.
What does the Department of Education actually do?
In his executive order, Trump said he wants McMahon to take “all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return education authority to the States.”
However, the department doesn’t handle school curriculum. State and local governments handle education for school districts.
The department is an umbrella Cabinet-level agency largely acting as steward of taxpayer money for schools and their students. The DOE oversees public universities and students aid, with more than 17 million students submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid for the 2022-23 academic year, according to the Education Data Initiative.
Additionally, the department ensures schools are complying with federal laws passed by Congress, governing with federal funding. If a school doesn’t follow the law, it can lose federal funding. Some schools have lost funding recently, such as Columbia University having $400 million in federal funds canceled over the school’s alleged failure to combat antisemitism.
Finally, the department creates and funds programs overseeing education from pre-kindergarten to graduate student research.
How much money does Tennessee get from the Department of Education?
Not including student loans, the Department of Education was slated to give the Volunteer State an estimated $1,727,706,182 in federal funds in 2025, according to a DOE budget.
This money funds everything from Pell Grants to the Small, Rural School Achievement Program to the Adult Basic and Literacy Education State Grants. For younger students, the DOE supports special education and homeless children.
Plus, the DOE gives nearly $2 billion to post-secondary Tennessee students via federal student loans, according to the 2025 budget estimation.
What will and won’t be affected under Department of Education executive order?
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the executive order to reporters March 20, saying the order won’t abolish the department but shrink it under McMahon’s control. She said the goal is to reduce spending on public education by cutting “wasteful spending” while protecting “critical programs,” but neither she nor the White House identified what would be considered waste.
The Title I program funding schools in high-poverty areas, funding for students with disabilities, Pell Grants and student loans will continue to be administered under the order, Leavitt said. Her press conference was before Trump’s announcement of SBA taking over student loans.
McMahon intends to “bring these funds closer to states, localities, and, more importantly, students,” a White House official said according to USA TODAY.
What is President Trump targeting within Department of Education?
One of Trump’s major priorities is to stop education programs or activities from promoting or advancing diversity, equity and inclusion – commonly referred to as DEI – or gender ideology. The current administration has made it a top priority to eliminate initiatives related to or promoting these areas, and that extends to schools that receive federal funding.
Another factor relates to the performance of schools across the country compared to other countries. Trump says the U.S. ranks low in education but claims the cost per pupil is higher. Trump and other Republicans use data from the Education Department’s research arm, which has been severely reduced and jeopardizes future tracking data, according to USA TODAY.
USA Today reporters Joey Garrison and Zachary Schermele contributed to this report.
Keenan Thomas reports for the Knox News business growth and development team. You can reach him by email at keenan.thomas@knoxnews.com.
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