The state of education in the United States is in shambles. Reading and math test scores have dropped to the lowest level in decades, our universities are the most unaffordable in the world, and satisfaction with education quality is at a record low. At a time where our country should be investing more in our schools, student programs and student aid, President Donald Trump has decided to instead make massive budget cuts, eliminating nearly 50% of the U.S. Department of Education’s workforce, and is threatening an executive order to dismantle the department entirely.
If Trump succeeds in eliminating the department, not only will crucial funding become more difficult to access, but broad oversight of education in the United States will become near impossible. The Department of Education is responsible for collecting data from various school districts across the country, which includes ensuring that schools are following anti-discrimination guidelines and addressing disparities in education as they appear. Staff cuts to the Office of Federal Student Aid will also make the process of allocating student aid much more difficult as its infrastructure begins to break down from a lack of support. The Department of Education is also responsible for protecting student privacy and giving students the opportunity to challenge abuses of their privacy — all of which would be significantly impacted without the department overseeing education.
As a result, universities — both public and private — will suffer greatly from Trump’s executive cutoff to federal funding. His administration has proposed cutting over $200 billion in federal student aid over the next decade. This proposal eliminates federal student loans, threatens the loan repayment safety net and ends loan forgiveness for those who work in public service.
Programs for college students to pay tuition, like federal student loans, work-study programs and Pell Grants, help millions of low-income students afford college. If these grants are reduced, many students, especially first-generation college students, will struggle to pay for tuition, forcing them to take on more debt or drop out entirely. At NYU, 22% of students rely on Pell Grants to attend, meaning any change would affect nearly a quarter of the student body. With fewer low-income students able to access federal aid, schools like NYU will see decreased socioeconomic diversity in enrollment. Additionally, programs supporting first-generation students, students with disabilities and initiatives that promote diversity, equity and inclusion are funded by grants from the Department of Education, and are specifically at risk of being targeted under Trump’s crackdown on diversity, equity, and conclusion.
Many universities rely on grants from the department for research funding, and these funding reductions will greatly limit institutions research opportunities and innovation. NYU has had at least two grants terminated as a result of Trump’s aid freeze, which puts more than half of the university’s research funding at risk. Other universities have had federal funding revoked, like University of Pennsylvania with $175 million of federal funding frozen, Columbia University with $400 million, and Northwestern University potentially facing more than $100 million in funding cut annually. This has led universities to consider shifting the financial burden of these massive cuts to students. Northwestern has adjusted its policies on financial aid for transfer students, stating that financial aid that is awarded on the basis of need will now be “dependent upon availability of funds.”
New York City receives $2.2 billion in federal funding for its schools, with most of it being used to support low-income students, students with disabilities and special needs, meal programs and mental health support. Trump’s budget cuts to the Department of Education put efforts like these at risk, and will particularly hurt marginalized communities who don’t have regular access to this support.
Title I funding, which provides an average of $680 million annually to New York City schools alone, is now at risk. These funds support schools where at least 60% of students come from low-income families, helping to pay for teacher salaries, mental health services and classroom technology. Without this funding, struggling schools will be forced to lay off staff, cut academic programs and increase class sizes.
Beyond the immediate impact on students and schools, these cuts may deter people from becoming teachers. Teaching is already an underpaid and undervalued career, with a survey in 2022 showing less than 1 in 5 Americans are willing to encourage others to be teachers. Now, with increased workloads due to staff shortages, the chance that someone will choose to be a teacher will be even slimmer. Already, NYU has announced they’ll be freezing hiring as well as reducing pay increases this year in anticipation of federal funding cuts. This will undoubtedly sour the ambitions of any prospective instructors who may want to work at NYU and build on a mountain of bad press.
Losing federal funding could also mean schools have fewer counselors, social workers and behavior specialists, leaving students who need the most support without the resources they need. Additionally, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, which investigates discrimination in schools and enforces Title IX protections, has had its workforce cut in half. This means students facing racial or gender-based discrimination will have fewer protections and will be even more vulnerable.
If these cuts move forward, disadvantaged students will lose access to vital educational resources as well as the great teachers dedicated to educating them. Rather than defunding education, the federal government should be boosting funding to ensure that students have access to quality teachers, mental health resources and financial aid. The government shouldn’t be lining its pockets with educational funding; it should be making a good-faith effort to invest in the future leaders of the United States.
WSN’s Opinion section strives to publish ideas worth discussing. The views presented in the Opinion section are solely the views of the writer.
Contact Steven Wang at [email protected].