Students should not have to beg for our well-being to be considered over budget cuts and political agendas. However, students are forced to simply watch as our educational opportunities and financial resources are stripped from them by the Trump administration. Only a month into Trump’s second term, his policies are decimating student aid, educational assistance and social programs for underserved communities.
In previous weeks, President Donald Trump has mentioned plans to cut funding from the United States Department of Education. He prepared an executive order urging Congress to abolish the Department of Education by stating that the institution has been overrun by radicals, zealots and Marxists. In an executive order, he claimed that the funds that go into the Department of Education are a big waste of taxpayer money.
The Trump administration’s threats to take down the US Department of Education is not for the greater good of students. They aim to, if not take down the department, change its policies completely. As if created to intentionally hurt students, new policies have limited access to educational opportunities while prioritizing teachings on superficial values like “patriotic admiration.”
President Trump has ordered Special Government Employee Elon Musk to manage the cuts that fund resources that the Department of Education utilizes. Trump’s main goal in cutting funding is to lower the federal budget and spend the money on what the Trump administration deems necessary. According to the cuts made by Musk, including a $900 million cut from the Institute of Education Sciences, ensuring the progress of America’s students is not important to Trump’s agenda.
It is disheartening for students to see how the federal government does not support our needs. Students from Title I schools, such as Daniel Pearl Magnet High School, rely on federal funding to bridge educational achievement gaps. Title I funds are used to enhance academic programs, boost mental health resources, hire instructional support and provide devices that improve learning. The Education Department is responsible for managing federal student aid loans and grants, yet Trump has announced his plans to dismantle the department without hesitation.
Despite the White House claiming that Donald Trump plans to expand educational opportunities, the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights threatened to penalize schools offering race-based programs through a letter sent on Feb. 14. This includes schools using race in admissions, financial aid, hiring, scholarships and housing. These programs, initially created to help underrepresented and underserved communities, now risk losing federal funding for schools.
If the Trump administration’s aim is to create a level and just system for students, then they have failed. In their acts to save funds, they sacrificed resources that students need to bridge gaps created by poverty and racial discrimination. The Department of Education is crucial to bridging systemic gaps in education and aiding students in creating a better future for themselves. It should be recognized, not torn down.
