Trump’s Budget Cuts: A Direct Attack on The Education Department, STEM Research, and DEI Efforts
(Picture courtesy of @WhiteHouse on X)
Rachel Smith | News Editor
On Thursday, March 19, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to dismantle the Education Department. Formally abolishing the federal department will require the approval of Congress to uphold, but the president has the power to make it nearly impossible for the 4,000 ED employees to complete their work effectively.
This decision comes in the wake of the establishment of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by tech billionaire Elon Musk. With the sole task of minimizing federal government spending, DOGE has been cutting numerous programs deemed by Elon and the president as “unnecessary” including the Education Department and even the National Institute of Health.
As of 2024, the Education Department had an $80 billion discretionary budget, which accounts for only 2 percent of the federal budget.
Bobby Scott, the House Education Committee’s top Democrat, spoke out against the president’s order against the Education Department, pointing out the direct impact on “low-income students, students of color, students with disabilities, and rural students.” This is also seen in the Trump Administration’s ongoing attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Colleges have been scrambling to reevaluate preexisting policies to comply with this presidential order. DEI programs in Ohio public colleges and universities will also be taking a hit after Republican Gov. Mike DeWine signed Senate Bill 1 on March 18th, which will not only ban all DEI programs but also prohibit faculty strikes and actively limit discussions in classrooms.
Here at UD, President Spina stated in a campus-wide message, “We are deeply committed to our mission and identity as a Catholic and Marianist institution, we believe our multidimensional diversity is part of our mission and a true strength, and we will continue to support our students with programs that have long been in place and offer value to the University community.” While the subject is not explicitly addressed, it is clear that the university aligns itself with upholding community values and will continue to monitor the situation as it develops. More information can be found here.
Higher education will see a significant shift fiscally as one of the most impactful roles of the Education Department is seen in the distribution of student loans, grants, and other forms of aid to help students through college. The department’s Office of Federal Student Aid, which falls under the ED, is responsible for $1.7 trillion in outstanding loans, encompassing over 40 million borrowers. The FSA is the organization that manages loans, carries out numerous higher education regulations, and even holds colleges accountable if they violate federal laws.
If the Education Department were to be completely disbanded as intended by President Trump, the FSA may face a transitional shift into the Treasury Department. This possibility raises concerns about the Treasury’s ability to uphold the federal student aid program. In the upcoming year, loans may be delayed due to the layoff of over 1,000 employees, which could result in multiple issues with loan dispersal. Whatever happens to the department, loan holders should remain diligent with their loan records and payments moving forward into uncertain times regarding the debt repayment system.
The university has since come out and issued the following statement regarding UD financial aid:
“At this time, federal student aid programs, many of which are set in statute, remain in place and must be administered. We are watching for any potential effects on access to aid, processing and disbursement, operational systems related to FAFSA and transferring current Department of Education functions to other federal agencies. Because closing the department requires congressional approval, legal and legislative challenges are expected. We will continue to track developments and provide updates as more information becomes available.”
Trump’s initiative will also directly impact students, as the ED helps to ensure the protection of students’ civil rights, equal access to education, and student privacy through FERPA and PPRA. With the red tape removed for universities and accreditors, students may face fewer protections.
Trump has also threatened to freeze all federal loans and grants, meaning that many colleges will lose access to numerous federal funds. Department officials currently claim that student loans, Pell Grants, and Federal Work-Study should not be impacted by the freeze, but programs related to STEM research will see the majority of the funding cuts.
The National Institute of Health (NIH) is facing a crackdown on its biomedical research funding which Dr. Kimryn Rathmell, former director of the National Cancer Institute, has publicly come out against stating, “Discoveries are going to be delayed, if they ever happen.” Trump has announced a policy that would cut research-overhead costs to a mere 15 percent, removing billions of dollars of funding. Most of the MIH’s budget goes to US universities, research groups, or hospitals to further medical advancements. The cut in funding resulted in the mass firing of government workers on top of significant delays in grant funding. To fit Trump’s demand of saving the government $4 billion, scientists have stated that they will have to stop lifesaving work and research.
Hopkins specialist, Dr. Otis Brawley stated, “Those studies are very much threatened right now. People don’t know what the rules are…we’re actually going to kill people is what it amounts to, because we’re not studying how to get appropriate care to all people.”
Not only will proper funding be delayed under these restrictions, but the Trump Administration has also issued an executive order banning DEI-associated gendered language, in an attempt to restore “biological truth” to a federal government imbued with “woke ideology.” As a result, the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has begun mandating scientific manuscripts to be stripped of words such as “gender,” “transgender,” “pregnant person,” or “non-binary.” This sets a precedent that extends past simple gendered terms as it blocks public health reports from sharing basic demographic data about their study participants such as sexual orientation or gender identity, leading to possible inaccuracies in scientific studies.
Many academic journals have preestablished policies regarding gendered language, and many, such as the New England Journal of Medicine, have come out against the mandate by refusing to alter their editorial policies.
Many areas spanning from education, scientific research, diversity efforts, and loan dispersal seem to be increasingly targeted under this new administration. I implore all students to remain educated on the ongoing changes, and to remember that here at UD, we are nothing without the community around us. Take time to lift others up and remain positive in a time of such uncertainty. More information about the seven programs that have been subjected to funding cuts can be found here: U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, the U.S. Agency for Global Media, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the Wilson Center, the Minority Business Development Agency, and the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund.