On Thursday, President Trump issued an executive order instructing the federal Department of Education to devise a plan for its own dissolution.

Can Trump Really Abolish the Department of Education?

While only Congress has the authority to eliminate a Cabinet-level agency, it remains uncertain whether Trump has the necessary votes to do so. However, he has already taken steps to weaken the department—cutting approximately half of its workforce, significantly reducing its respected education research division, and drastically limiting the scope of its civil rights office, which safeguards students from discrimination.

Trump’s longstanding criticism of the Education Department echoes a Reagan-era Republican stance and has sparked fierce opposition from Democrats. But is shutting down the department truly feasible? And if not, how has Trump already reshaped it to align with his policy objectives?

What Role Does the Department of Education Play?

Established in 1979, the Department of Education primarily manages federal financial aid for college students, including grants and loans. It also distributes funding to K-12 schools, particularly for low-income and disabled students, and enforces anti-discrimination laws.

Congress has already allocated funding for these initiatives, meaning Trump’s executive order is unlikely to directly impact school financing. However, oversight of these funds could be reduced or shifted to other federal agencies.

Federal contributions make up roughly 10% of K-12 education funding nationwide. While Trump has emphasized returning control of education to individual states, K-12 education is already predominantly managed by states and local school districts, which rely primarily on state and local taxes. The federal department does not dictate curricula or reading lists for schools.

One of its key responsibilities is funding and disseminating educational research, a function that has been significantly scaled back under Trump. The department also administers nationwide assessments that measure student achievement and compare results across states and internationally. With the department’s reduced staffing and budget, the future of these assessments remains uncertain.

Despite these changes, dismantling the department would likely have little immediate impact on the daily operations of schools and colleges. The Trump administration has considered shifting student aid programs to the Treasury Department and transferring disability-related school funding to the Department of Health and Human Services.

Can the Department Be Abolished?

Eliminating the Department of Education would require congressional approval, which is unlikely to be easily secured. Republican lawmakers could face pushback from superintendents, college presidents, and education officials—even in conservative districts—since schools across the political spectrum rely on federal funding.

“There will be resistance,” said Jon Valant, an education policy expert at the Brookings Institution. “Republicans hold only a slim majority in Congress and would still need to overcome a Senate filibuster.”

Even if Republican legislators were to unify behind the initiative, Valant expects significant backlash from their constituents. The department administers popular programs such as Pell Grants, which assist students with college tuition, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which ensures vital support for students with disabilities.

“It’s a tough argument to make,” Valant noted. “And I highly doubt this administration wants to invest its political capital in this battle.”

The effort to dismantle the department aligns with broader conservative goals of reducing federal involvement in education while expanding support for private-school vouchers and homeschooling initiatives. Trump’s allies are also exploring ways to cut Title I funding—the primary federal financial aid for K-12 schools—but this, too, would likely require congressional action.

How Much Power Does the Department Have?

While Trump has vowed to eliminate the department, he has already begun leveraging its authority.

In January, the agency launched an investigation into Denver Public Schools for converting a girls’ restroom into an all-gender facility. It has also scrutinized a series of student-of-color conferences in Ithaca, New York, and introduced an “End D.E.I.” webpage, encouraging individuals to report instances of “divisive ideologies and indoctrination” in schools.

Additionally, Trump’s executive order on “ending radical indoctrination in K-12 education” directs the department to develop and promote “patriotic” learning materials.

However, since the department’s influence over K-12 education is limited, the practical impact of these initiatives remains unclear.

The agency does wield authority in enforcing civil rights laws that protect various student groups, including those with disabilities, LGBTQ+ students, racial minorities, and female students. One key approach of the administration has been to argue that allowing transgender students to use restrooms or participate in sports teams based on gender identity violates Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in education.

Trump has shown less interest in other areas of civil rights enforcement. For instance, he has dismissed attorneys responsible for investigating schools that fail to provide adequate accommodations for students with disabilities.

The Department’s Budget and Republican Criticism

Currently, over 70% of the department’s $224 billion annual budget is allocated to federal student aid programs, a spending category that has drawn increasing scrutiny from Republican lawmakers. Trump has proposed restricting public-sector loan forgiveness and has argued that fewer students should pursue four-year college degrees.

Each year, the department issues over $90 billion in new student loans through colleges, with private contractors managing loan servicing. It also distributes $39 billion in Pell Grants for low-income students—funding that, unlike loans, does not need to be repaid. Additionally, it oversees federal work-study programs and provides grants to aspiring teachers who commit to working in high-need schools or subject areas.

Republican Opposition to the Department Over Time

Though opposition to the Department of Education is now largely associated with Republicans, resistance to its creation was initially bipartisan.

President Jimmy Carter established the department in 1979 as part of a campaign promise to the National Education Association, the largest teachers’ union in the U.S. However, even his own transition team and members of Congress—including some Democrats—questioned the necessity of a separate agency.

Some progressive lawmakers believed that all child-related services, including education, healthcare, and welfare, should remain consolidated under the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.

Over the past four decades, however, the Education Department has become deeply entrenched in Washington, with bipartisan support. Many of its initiatives—such as vocational education funding—have fostered cooperation between Republicans and Democrats.

Gareth Davies, a historian who has studied the department’s origins, views the renewed conservative effort to dismantle it as a reflection of the Republican Party’s ideological shift. “It signals a move away from ‘compassionate conservatism’ toward more confrontational cultural battles,” he noted.

Mike Petrilli, president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute and a former Education Department official under President George W. Bush, dismissed the push to eliminate the agency as a distraction from more pressing concerns, such as the country’s declining reading scores.

“If Trump truly wanted to address this issue and demonstrate leadership,” Petrilli argued, “he would convene a summit with governors to tackle the real crisis—how excessive screen time is impacting children’s learning.”