BY SUMMER CRANDALL

This week, the Trump administration announced a sweeping plan to transfer major responsibilities of the U.S. Department of Education to several other federal agencies, a move critics say could fundamentally reshape how schools, colleges, and student programs are run nationwide.

According to KSAT News, in its report “Trump’s wind-down of the Education Department leaves schools fearing disruption,” state education officials warn the changes could create “confusion and less efficiency” as key K–12 and higher-education programs shift to agencies like the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Interior.

The decision has sparked particular concern in Native communities. According to the Associated Press, in the article “Tribal leaders say Trump administration failed to consult with them on Education Department changes,” tribal leaders say they were not consulted before Native education programs were moved to the Interior Department, raising fears about funding stability and program continuity.

Higher education leaders are also worried about the impact on federal oversight. According to The Times of India, in its analysis “A hollowed-out Education Department and a captive loan book,” shifting postsecondary policy to the Department of Labor could weaken protections for student loan borrowers and complicate financial-aid administration.

The administration is simultaneously escalating its campaign against DEI initiatives. According to The Guardian, in the report “State department to cut 38 universities from research program over DEI policies,” the State Department plans to remove dozens of universities including several top-tier institutions  from a federal research partnership because of DEI-related hiring practices.

As legal experts cited by NC Forum note in “November 21 Policy Updates,” the administration may face court challenges over whether these program transfers exceed executive authority.

Together, the moves mark one of the largest federal education shake ups in decades one supporters call a modernization effort, and critics describe as a destabilizing overhaul of the nation’s education system.