Trump Can’t Shut Down the Department of Education, but Student Loan Borrowers Should Beware
President Donald Trump is not shy about shutting down the Department of Education’s desire, saying it began fouls against his administration this month. But does the president have the right to close the Ministry of Education? What if he did this?
“President Trump cannot close the U.S. Department of Education through executive orders,” student loan expert Mark Cantrovitz said in an email. “But if he can’t eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, he can certainly kill it.”
The Department of Education plays a key role in the U.S. education system, but may be known for managing millions of federal financial aid Student Loan Borrower. If you have federal student loans, experts say it may appear if the Department of Education is closed.
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Why does the Trump administration eliminate the Ministry of Education?
The Department of Education was established by Congress in 1979 to track, manage and coordinate education programs and procedures at the federal level. Trump advisers said they wanted to call on Congress to abolish the division, a move that has surfaced among Republicans for years but has not gained widespread support.
“It is not clear why Republicans are getting rid of the U.S. Department of Education,” Cantrovitz said. “Why get rid of the powerful tools for implementing the education agenda?”
The Trump administration campaign aims to reduce the size of the federal workforce, so closing the Education Department, which employs 4,400 employees, can be seen as part of the agenda. The ministry also manages federal student loans, Republicans’ goals As former President Joe Biden strongly supports student debt relief.
The role of the department in public education may also be confusing, including the mistaken belief that it controls the K-12 curriculum. The Ministry of Education will not develop courses for any school. Requirements are set at the state level, and local school boards create courses to meet these requirements.
For example, Common CoreMany people think this is the “national standard” of education, created by the National Association of Governors and the Chief State School Officials Committee as a multinational effort to standardize the national educational requirements. However, the Ministry of Education has not participated in the formulation of standards.
Can the president close the Ministry of Education?
The president cannot unilaterally eliminate the Ministry of Education. According to Linda McMahon, head of President Trump’s nominee Linda McMahon. McMahon said at a confirmation hearing this month that closure of departments will require a Congressional bill. Congress is unlikely to eliminate the department, as Republicans control only 53 votes in the Senate, requiring super tribute of 60 votes.
But while the complete shutdown of the Education Department may not be outside the president’s terms of reference, the Trump administration has begun to take action to end specific functions and plans. Billionaire Elon Musk’s team of governors has begun to deceive the department, terminate contracts and fire personnel.
Congress can also cut the department’s budget through budget settlements, which requires only a simple majority. “Proposed to get rid of the plus loan, Student loan interest reduction,,,,, (U.S. Opportunity Tax Credit), (Lifetime Learning Credit)Borrower repayment can be carried out through budget settlement, closed school discharge and all aspects of PSLF. ” Kantrowitz said.
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What happens if the Ministry of Education is cancelled?
Few experts hope that the Ministry of Education will eliminate it completely. Even so, many of its programs, including federal student loans, may be retained in some form and transferred to different departments.
“Some people think that given that federal student loans are funded by the Treasury, this responsibility should be with the Treasury.” Elaine RubinEdvisors’ student loan policy expert and communications director said in an email.
However, any change will take time and can cause disruptions to millions of borrowers trying to apply for or repay student loans. “The Treasury lacks experience with higher education rules, so there can be some confusion,” Cantrovitz said.
No matter where the student loan ends up, current borrowers should expect the same terms as agreed upon when accepting the loan.
“If a student loan is transferred to another federal agency, the interest rates and terms of the loan will not change. These terms are specified in the total promissory notes and laws,” Cantrovitz said.
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What about student loan forgiveness?
President Trump made it clear that he did not support the widespread student loan forgiveness program, saying the Biden administration called the Biden administration’s student loan relief efforts “all disasters” during last year’s presidential debate.
However, at the Secretary of Education confirmation hearing, McMahon told the Senator that the Ministry of Education would respect Public Student Loan Forgiveness Program and other student loan forgiveness programs formulated by Congress.
“If we want stronger or more loan forgiveness programs, then Congress should pass those programs and then we will implement it,” she said.
Elimination of departments will not affect those borrowers who own the loan Already forgivenaccording to Cantrovitz. “The president cannot avoid the forgiveness that has been provided. It is legally binding,” he said. “The court also said that forgiveness has an ‘irreversible’ effect.”
Biden administration Save valuable educational programsThis is in a court of appeals ruling this week, lowering monthly payments and providing additional options for forgiveness. Savings are already on the chopping block and the Trump administration will not defend the plan.
Read more: You cannot be forced to repay a student loan for forgiveness – unless this happens
What to do if you have a student loan
For most current borrowers, eliminating the impact of the sector may not be obvious. “Most functions are implemented through contractors, so it’s unlikely that student loan borrowers will notice anything different,” Cantrovitz said.
Currently, borrowers holding student loans should continue to pay attention to updates and prepare for If they pause, please repay. Make sure you know who your loan provider is and that they have your current contact information. If you are currently joining a saving repayment plan, please Expect to pay more this year. You can use Ministry of Education’s loan simulator Calculate your new payment and start thinking about other IDR options and Save policy.
If you are joining PSLF and are close to a 120 payment trademark, you may want to consider applying PSLF repurchase plan. It allows you to “buy back” unpaid months without accounting for forgiveness when the loan is in a forgiving or deferred situation. While the PSLF plan may still be safe, the repo plan may disappear, so it’s time to take advantage of it.
