What Could Happen to Financial Aid Without the Department of Education
"President Donald Trump has officially moved to dismantle the Department of Education, but said federal funding for core programs, including Pell Grants and student financial aid, will be unaffected," CNBC reports.
..."The order comes as high school seniors wait to hear back from colleges regarding admissions decisions and financial aid. Current college students may also be awaiting decisions on their financial aid packages for the 2025-26 school year.
'Dismantling the Department in haste could cripple the government’s ability to accurately distribute billions in federal student aid, putting millions of students at risk — especially low-income students who lack a financial safety net,' Beth Maglione, interim president and CEO at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, said in a statement.
Student aid is safe for now, bandwidth may be an issue
Neither the executive order nor the actual act of dismantling ED abolishes existing student aid programs 'as those are enshrined in statute,' Maglione told CNBC Make It via email.
'Where we do have some concern, however, is bandwidth at the Department to effectively administer those programs, or troubleshoot issues with the FAFSA, for example, should any technical issues arise,' she said."
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Publication Date: 3/24/2025
