Jonathan Roman | Contributing Writer
The dismantling of the Department of Education has been many students’ nightmare since the election. Now that nightmare is potentially turning into a reality.
On Mar.20 the fear set in as my phone buzzed with news notifications that President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing his secretary of education Linda McMahon to abolish the Department of Education.
The idea of the Department of Education being dismantled left me in a panic.
This executive order, like so many that Trump has signed, was a made-for-TV moment. In the east room of the White House surrounded by students, Trump said to Secretary McMahon “hopefully she will be our last secretary of education.”
Trump, who vowed on his campaign trail to close the Department of Education, is attempting to deliver on that promise. It is no secret that he sees “woke” education as a threat but to dismantle an entire department is a drastic move.
But he can’t close the Department of Education without the support of Congress. Nonetheless he is doing his best to significantly weaken it by firing workers.
In doing this, he is sending a message that we can’t ignore. Trump will continue to steamroll and implement his disastrous agenda regardless of the legality and consequences.
And as the Department of Education is being endlessly attacked, what happens to our financial aid?
This executive order has left many students across campus confused and frankly worried if they’ll be able to afford the rest of their education. This is my first year at FIU and now I can’t help but wonder if I’ll be able to afford to finish my degree.
The executive order claims that it will not end financial assistance but it can definitely slow down the process.
The executive order states that “The Department of Education is not a bank, and it must return the bank’s function to an entity equipped to serve America’s students.” This includes pell grants, student loans, special educational needs for students with disabilities, title one and civil rights laws.
In 2023-2024 approximately 89% of full time undergraduate students at FIU receive some sort of financial aid which comes through the Department of Education. FIU is a university known for its first generation students, 42% of first generation students receive pell grants and other forms of assistance.
The fear that I and other students face is if financial aid will be processed in time or if our pell grants and other awards will be disbursed in time. Students already have enough to worry about and this executive order adds unnecessary anxiety.
This move by Trump is an unpopular one as a recent Quinnipiac survey has 60% of registered voters opposing the dismantling of the DOE. The fact of the matter is that an abolished Department of Education will significantly hurt red states, like Florida.
It is alarming that the President behaves as though the stroke of his pen can end and stop anything he disagrees with. This executive order is one of many where the President is acting with impunity and as a result, is putting students’ education at risk.
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The opinions presented on this page do not represent the views of the PantherNOW Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect the perspectives of contributing writers and/or university community members.
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