By John Church
After an eventful start to his second stint as President, Donald Trump and his administration now aim to dismantle the Department of Education (DOE).
While nothing can be set in stone without Congressional approval, if the move passes, many high school and college students nationwide could take the brunt of the impact.
What does this mean for SUNY Plattsburgh?
The executive order to plan the DOE’s dismantling was announced on March 21. Ultimately, the signed order wants to shift student loan management to the Small Business Administration (SBA).
Trump’s blueprint is to diminish federal bureaucracy in public education, yet uncertainty remains about whether the move will reduce the availability of financial aid, accessibility programs, and funding for public universities and schools.
In cities like Chicago, New York and Boston, civil servants for the DOE are being terminated from their work.
The initial plan was to lay off over 1,300 employees. So far, many of those cuts have come to fruition.
President Trump has labeled the department as “overrun by radicals, zealots, and Marxists,” framing its elimination as a step toward increased state control over education.
Linda MacMahon, United States Secretary of Education, assured that Pell Grants, student financial aid, and loan management will continue under different federal agencies.
Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of the Institute for Ethics in Public Life Dr. Daniel Lake expressed concerns about the long-term implications of dismantling the Education Department, particularly for marginalized student populations.
“Efforts to support students from disadvantaged populations,” “Both racial and ethnic minorities, as well as poor students in general, are being destroyed as part of the war on DEI,” ’Dr. Lake wrote in an email. “The result will be less access to higher education for Black, Latino/-a, and Indigenous students.”
There are some palpable concerns for public schools, but the sentiment is that as long as education decisions are made at the local and state levels, Cardinals will be safe.
Todd Moravec, Director of Student Financial Services at SUNY Plattsburgh, emphasized that no disruptions to financial aid disbursement will occur anytime soon, but it’s important to stay vigilant.
“If something were to change — and this is sort of a worst-case scenario — and Pell Grants were cut, that would have a huge impact,” Moravec said. “But that’s not been discussed.”
“Now, what they said is they’re not going to impact the core functions that give direct assistance to students; they’ve said that. But, if, say, Title IX is impacted it could affect assistance. We have to stay monitoring that because those things have an impact not just in Plattsburgh, but around the country.”
New York State has maintained strong support for students of different socioeconomic, gender, sex, racial, accessibility, and orientation backgrounds.
People like Jennifer Curry, ADA Compliance/504 Coordinator at SUNY Plattsburgh, remain confident in Plattsburgh’s ability to maintain and fund programs.
“SUNY Plattsburgh has and will continue to make supporting students with disabilities a priority,” Curry said. “And ensure that there is access for all students who are navigating their higher education goals.”
Yet, the financial and bureaucratic impacts on the Accessibility and Resource Office remain unclear. Because of heightened uncertainty, not much can be said at the moment Curry said.
As far as Plattsburgh State’s administration is concerned, they remain steadfast in their commitment to providing a high-quality, state-endorsed education despite potential federal changes.
The President’s Office and Executive Director of Strategic Communications and Marketing for the Office of the President, Heather Haskins, echoed the same sentiment, emphasizing a mission to provide broad educational access to people in New York.
“From our founding, SUNY’s mission has been ‘to provide to the people of New York educational services of the highest quality, with the broadest possible access, fully representative of all segments of the population.’ We will continue to follow the law and review new federal policies that may impact our campus community as they arise.”
For the Student Association, not much was said about direct causes to Plattsburgh students. Since the SA is funded independently of the Education Department, not much worry is to be had.
“The Student Association is funded by the SA fee and not the Department of Education, so the clubs and resources provided by the SA wouldn’t be affected,” President Kalema Gooding said.
While university leadership remains committed to ensuring student support, it remains unclear how federal policy shifts may impact SUNY Plattsburgh’s budget and aid in the long run.
The Trump administration’s plan to dismantle the Education Department is still in its early stages.
Significant legal and legislative hurdles lie ahead, but only Congress has the power to fully dissolve the department it founded back in 1979.
However, the White House is already making cuts and restructuring efforts to the DOE. For students at SUNY Plattsburgh, the key takeaway is to stay informed and prepared.
Moravec advises students to not let it impact their financial aid applications. Nothing is being said about it, so the advice is to apply on time and take proactive steps to secure funding.
“Our operations and direct financial aid have not been impacted,” he said. “We continue to award financial aid for this year, and for next year, we will continue to disperse financial aid, so don’t make any harsh decisions about your future based on concerns or worries for things that are uncertain at this time.”
Faculty and administrators are closely monitoring developments to assess potential impacts on students’ accessibility services and funding streams.
With uncertainty surrounding the future of federal student aid, advocacy and awareness will be crucial in ensuring students’ financial security.
As the DOE situation unfolds, SUNY Plattsburgh’s administration and student body will need to stay engaged in discussions about the future of higher education funding in New York and beyond.
United States Secretary of Education Linda McMahon says that despite $1 trillion in agency spending by the DOE, American test scores in schools have remained flat.
Ultimately, the country’s eyes and ears fall on the shoulders of Washington. If Trump and his cabinet successfully push their order through Congress, federal and state funding of schools could change.
At the moment, whether those decisions go private or remain in public hands, nobody is any the wiser what to say will happen.
“Our higher education system is still solid,” Lake said. “But the hostility of the current administration and its attacks on universities are going to undermine that given time.”
