Education is a human right that should be protected, but Trump’s future plans make it feel as though it is a privilege. 

As someone who prioritizes education, I find it disheartening. I may soon live in a reality where the President plans to dismantle the Department of Education. The result could make federal funding and anti-discriminatory policies a thing of the past.

The ED was established in October 1979 under Congress’s Department of Education Organization Act. 

Of course Trump doesn’t understand the value of the department, it didn’t even exist during his time as a college student. Considering Trump graduated in 1968, I’d appreciate it if he kept his outdated mentality in the past rather than integrating it into classrooms. 

The ED’s mission is to “promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access” according to their webpage. 

Related: Panel at USF discusses Trump’s pledge to end the Department of Education

But Trump doesn’t see the department this way. Instead, he claims it is filled with “radicals, zealots and Marxists” and hopes its closure will bring education back to the states.

Calling the ED’s employees “radical” is ironic, considering the call is coming from inside the White House.

Closing the ED will only further Trump’s agenda to rid of the “left-wing indoctrination” he says is in schools. 

The truth is Trump’s plans will only bring a world of trouble for students looking to access higher education and those in need of civil rights protection in universities.

Placing education in the hands of the state will allow public schools to teach what Florida legislators believe are important, rather than adhering to a federal standard. 

It’s not surprising Trump plans to disband the ED so he can have a tighter grip on education, in hopes of making our public universities right-wing think tanks. 

If state legislators could, they would probably make us swap our multiplication tables for Bible verses.

If the ED is dismantled, some students may not even be able to receive education at all if they can’t even seek out the funding they need for school. 

The ED oversees the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the Pell Grant which are programs that provide low-income students the funds to achieve higher education.

The department has helped more than 13 million students with work-study funds and low-interest loans in order to afford college. In 2023, around 35% of USF students received a Pell Grant, which is awarded to students from low-income families. 

“The elimination of federal funding streams would mean that the government would have a diminished role in overseeing the rules on the use of federal funding,” said Eric Hoover, a senior writer for The Chronicle of Higher Education, a newsroom dedicated to publishing about issues related to college and universities. 

But the threat to funding doesn’t just apply to higher education students. The ED also funds a series of programs that focus on disabled and low-income students within schools.

Related: OPINION: Make USF “woke” again

Among those is Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act which provides financial assistance to school districts for children from low-income families. 

In addition to Title I, the department also the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This guarantees the special education and required services that disabled children in schools need.

But as outlined in The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, there is the possibility these programs will move to other departments to then be placed as the state’s responsibility to allocate this money.  

Wouldn’t it be better if only one department oversaw the funding for each of these programs?  

Cutting the department poses a major threat to the security of these programs. This could in turn pose a danger to the protection of education services for these individuals. 

Feeling safe in schools is a priority and the department’s Office of Civil Rights ensures this. 

Related: OPINION: Trump’s selection for Secretary of Education will hinder college students

The office’s job is to look at cases dealing with both discrimination based on race and LGBTQ+ students. It ensures students don’t feel discriminated against within schools.

Thankfully, Trump can’t make the department disappear overnight without congressional approval. 

“While Republicans might be able to muster a narrow majority in both chambers for a bill to dismantle the department, they would need 60 votes in the Senate to get past the filibuster,” Eric Kelderman, a senior writer for The Chronicle of Higher Education said.

“The Republican Party currently has just a three-vote majority in that chamber, and it’s unlikely they would convince many Democrats to go along with such a bill,” Kelderman said.

But as per Trump’s not-so-secret hidden agenda, he’ll stop at nothing to ensure the ED’s ultimate demise. 

Trump’s poor understanding of what entails a good education is placing mine at risk.