Is Trump Pulling the Plug on the DOE?

BREAKING NEWS....

Good morning.

President Trump has been telegraphing this move for months, but yesterday's news will shock hundreds of thousands of people in the Higher Education Industrial Complex.  

But most parents won’t hear about it, even though this will dramatically affect the ecosystem your kid is walking into: funding, programs, support systems and which agencies are calling the shots from now on.

Here’s the quick-and-dirty summary of this breaking news:

What Just Happened

• The Department of Education is outsourcing six major programs to other federal agencies.
  
• Translation: the “referee” your kid’s school or program used to deal with is changing mid-game.
  
• The programs being moved include:
  
• Elementary and secondary education programs → Dept. of Labor
  
• College-based grant programs → Dept. of Labor
  
• Indian education programs → Dept. of the Interior
  
• On-campus childcare support → Health and Human Services
  
• Foreign medical school accreditation → HHS
  
• International education and foreign language programs → State Department
  
• NOT moving (yet): special ed, civil rights, and, most importantly, financial aid… but the writing is on the wall that more changes could follow.
  

Why Parents Should Care

This isn’t just bureaucratic shuffling. It directly affects the environment your kid is entering.

• Different agencies = different priorities.
  A program that used to be evaluated by educators may now be judged by workforce metrics, health metrics, or even diplomatic goals.
  
• More uncertainty for colleges.
  When one federal agency hands off responsibility to another, colleges scramble. Confusion usually trickles down to families.
  
• Potential delays or changes in programs your kid might use.
  International study, language programs, campus childcare (for older/non-traditional students), medical accreditation…all could get reshuffled.
  
• Schools are going to shift strategy.
  When Washington adjusts the rules, colleges adjust their priorities. That means new emphases, new funding battles, and new winners and losers.
  
• You need to know who is actually in charge.
  Because the advice you get from guidance counselors or college “experts” may already be outdated.
  

What This Means for Your Family’s College Planning

• Stay flexible.
  Federal changes often create ripple effects. Merit and need-based aid, program funding, and special initiatives might look different in the next 1–3 years.
  
• Keep an eye on programs tied to global studies, foreign language and pre-med.
  Those are shifting to agencies with completely different missions. Expect turbulence.
  
• Financial aid is NOT affected right now…
  …but anytime Washington starts moving pieces around, you want to be prepared for surprises (hello, 2024 FAFSA fiasco).
  
• The colleges that adapt fastest will be safest bets.
  Schools with strong financial footing and diversified funding will navigate this better than tuition-dependent, struggling institutions, who will struggle to survive
  
• Expect lawsuits and chaos.  But don't take your eye off the ball.  Your family comes first.
• Your kid needs a strategic, not emotional, college list.
  This is not the year to chase Rear Window Sticker schools without understanding how stable they are behind the scenes.  Or the year to put all eggs in one basket.  Have plenty of Plan B colleges on your list for when the dust settles.
  

Bottom Line

The college landscape is shifting, again. Sadly, most families will sleep through it until it bites them. 

But not you, because you read this and are now informed and on notice! :)

Back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Sincerely,

-Andy "News You Can Use" Lockwood

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