CENTRAL VALLEY – The Federal Department of Education has been in the headlines in recent weeks as the current administration follows through with campaign promises to gut the department.
After President Donald Trump slashed the department’s employment by 50%, fears grew that a reduction in services would impact students. On March 20, Department of Education (DOE) Secretary Linda McMahon issued a press release following another executive order. Trump’s administration cannot fully dissolve the department without authorization by Congress but is making efforts to do all they can to reduce the department.
“Today’s Executive Order is a history-making action by President Trump to free future generations of American students and forge opportunities for their success. We are sending education back to the states where it so rightly belongs,” McMahon wrote. “Education is fundamentally a state responsibility. Instead of filtering resources through layers of federal red tape, we will empower states to take charge and advocate for and implement what is best for students, families and educators in their communities.”
While there are fears the cuts will cause problems for college students, local schools have yet to see any impact. The impacts of cuts could be largely hidden for a year or more before the effects become apparent.
“College of the Sequoias is monitoring the federal discussion around the potential upcoming changes to the Department of Education,” Lauren Fishback, Marketing and Public Relations Director for COS said in a statement to Mineral King Publishing “At this moment in time there has been no impact locally. We will continue to follow the conversations and any potential changes closely. In the meantime, we will operate business as usual, supporting our students and their academic success.”
Fresno Pacific University Associate Director of Publications and Media Relations Wayne Steffen said that the campus has not seen direct problems from cuts but wants parents and students to remember that Free Application for Federal Student Aid, FAFSA, filings are due by April 2. The FAFSA is required in order to be eligible for CalGrant funds that are essential to students in the state.
“We do assume there will be impacts on FPU and other public and private universities just based on the reduction in personnel,” Steffan said in a telephone interview with The Sun-Gazette. “CalGrant is a state program so it isn’t directly affected by the DOE, but it is such an important program for our students. We don’t want those two things getting confused in people’s minds.”
Steffen added that the university, like many others, is focused on ensuring that students have the support they need and are advised of the funds that are available. So far, state funding is not threatened by cuts but the process of distributing funds could be at risk as the federal workforce is trimmed.
Amy Bentley-Smith, Director of Media Relations and Public Affairs with the California State University Office of the Chancellor, echoed the sentiment that the system is monitoring developments.
“The U.S. DOE has been a strong partner in CSU’s mission to expand access, enhance affordability, improve student outcomes and bring the transformative power of higher education to current and future generations of students throughout California and across the nation,” Bentley-Smith said in an emailed statement to Mineral King Publishing. “We are just starting to review the executive order for potential implications.”
The California Department of Education Superintendent Tony Thurmond said the department is focused on student success.
“We will not stand idly by while the Trump Administration continues to sow chaos, uncertainty and interruptions of normal communication surrounding federal education programs,” Thurmond wrote in a statement. “We will combat these attempts to undermine educational equity and opportunity and stay focused on our most important goal: improving educational results for our students.”
