Higher Ed Policy Roundup: Vol. 9 - Issue 5

The Trump Administration is reportedly working on an executive order to shutter the Education Department (ED), a promise that was made on the campaign trail. The executive order would direct the ED Secretary to begin winding down parts of the Department not written in federal statute, while the Administration would simultaneously work to pass legislation eliminating ED – a move that can only be made through Congress. The legislation eliminating ED would require a vote of 60 in the Senate, meaning that seven Democrats would need to agree, which insiders say is highly unlikely.

On Wednesday, the House Committee on Education and Workforce held a hearing titled “The State of American Education." The hearing addressed several topics including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Grad PLUS Loans, budget reconciliation, and the potential elimination of ED. When asked by Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC-5) about his feelings on the Grad PLUS Loan program, Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., President and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management, stated that he believes the program contributes to increasing workforce diversity but also leaves borrowers with tremendous amounts of debt. Dr. Preston Cooper, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, called the Grad PLUS Loan program unsustainable and called for the program to be capped. Regarding the elimination of ED, six Democrats on the committee outwardly opposed the move. Watch the full hearing.

The Department of Education’s Office of the Chief Economist published a working paper analyzing the sectors most represented in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, revealing that the education sector accounts for the largest share, with 43% of employers in the sample.

The Congressional Research Service published a report on temporary relief options for Federal Direct Loan borrowers in specific circumstances, including deferment and forbearance.

The following bill(s) have been recently introduced for consideration by the 119th Congress (2025-26):    

H.R. 899 – [Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY-4)] would terminate the Department of Education.

H.R. 937 – [Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI-6)] would limit the authority of the Secretary of Education.