In another flourish of Project 2025 influence being brought to bear on his administration, Donald Trump signed an executive order that would effectively eliminate the Department of Education (DOE).
The Secretary of Education shall, to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law, take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities.
Trump White House Executive Order
The next day, Trump announces that the office of Federal Student Aid (FSA), student loans, and all programs pertaining to “special needs” education will immediately move to other agencies. The FSA and student loan portfolio are assigned to the Small Business Administration, headed by Kelly Loeffler.
Trump is not constitutionally permitted to close any government agency unilaterally—but that hasn’t stopped him before and likely won’t this time.
The next steps for education, if Trump continues fulfilling the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 playbook, include funding schools through block grants that states can direct to private institutions, requiring all public school students to take the military entrance exam, restricting or banning lessons on issues of slavery and racism, and more.
SOURCES
Project 2025: A Mandate for Authoritarian Leadership by Simon Pierce, p.117
