There has been considerable discourse with the incoming administration on the value and role the United States Department of Education plays in the operation of higher education. However, the DOE also provides vital funding to K-12 school systems and students. Eliminating the DOE requires legislative action through Congress, as the department was established by law. The DOE oversees several critical funding programs, including providing Federal Student Aid of over $120 billion annually to around 13 million students. It also provides Title I funding which supports low income and rural schools, and enforces non-discrimination laws such as Title IX, the Rehabilitation Act and the American Disabilities Act.
Part of the rationale that that has been expressed in the public forum by the incoming administration for closing the DOE is to transfer education responsibilities back to the states and dismantle government bureaucracy and restructure government agencies for greater efficiency. States are already the primary funders for both public K-12 education and higher education and have regulatory oversight that ensures certain educational standards are met. How states would manage large block grants without additional staffing, resources, building spaces and most importantly experienced and qualified people to provide the oversight and administration of significant funding seems challenging at best and questionable how money will actually be saved by transferring from the federal to the state level.
If the DOE is eventually shuttered, and some of the responsibilities are transferred to another federal agency, what agency has the capability to handle the responsibilities without additional staff and costs? The Education Department also plays an important regulatory role in services for students, ranging from those with disabilities to low-income and homeless kids. It’s unlikely the Treasury Department can tackle those responsibilities and even if student loan responsibility is transferred to the Treasury, do we really think current staff can take on $120 billon of student loan allotment per year? My point here is this really about costs savings and government efficiency or is this more of an ideological disagreement with some of the polices of the DOE?
Another unspoken issue is that in order for a college to be approved to eligible to receive financial aid it must be accredited by an approved accreditor regulated by the Council for Higher Education who partners with the DOE recognizing accrediting bodies. In other words, if the DOE is dissolved, what will happen to ensuring that higher education meets certain quality standards of ethics, equity and education? Will this large responsibility also be transferred to the states to provide educational oversight? Will dissolving the DOE create chaos in reallocating federal funds to states? What impact will closing the DOE have on marginalized groups reliant on federal education support? Will the closure have an impact on teacher retention which is already a crisis at the public-school level nationally?
The Department of Education currently employs 4,400 individuals and operates with a $268 billion budget (4% of all federal funding, making it the sixth-highest funded agency). Its primary responsibilities include establishing policies for federal financial aid, distributing those funds and monitoring their use to ensure compliance and minimize large-scale fraud. While policy changes can be implemented within the department under existing federal laws and regulations, any proposal to close or significantly realign the DOE must be supported by clear evidence and a detailed, well-thought-out plan. Such a plan must ensure that essential educational and funding services are maintained without destabilizing the education system or harming the communities that depend on colleges and K-12 schools as economic drivers. Until then, I remain eager to see comprehensive strategies that address these critical concerns and outline a sustainable path forward.
Tom Striplin is president of Eastern West Virginia Community & Technical College, Moorefield, West Virginia. He earned his doctorate degree in higher education leadership and master’s degree in education from Frostburg State University.