The Department of Education, or Education Department, announced March 11 that it plans to cut nearly half of its employees, taking its total staff from around 4,133 workers to 2,183, a move that will likely have direct impacts on federally funded education in the United States.
The mass firing raised legal questions quickly. Two judges ordered federal agencies on March 13 to reinstate the tens of thousands of laid off federal workers, including those from the Education Department with probationary status. Since taking office, President Donald Trump has repeatedly signaled that he wants to dismantle the department altogether and has pushed for the responsibilities of the department to be given to individual states.
Some legal experts have challenged Trump’s actions, arguing that by dismantling departments of this magnitude, he is overstepping the usual constraints placed on the executive branch.
In a March 6 update to Northeastern’s “Navigating a New Political Landscape” FAQ page, the university wrote that a fully dismantled Education Department — which would require an act of Congress — would create considerable shifts in responsibilities within federal offices.
In response to a request for comment, the university redirected The Huntington News to the FAQ page.
“It’s more likely that the administration will sharply diminish the agency’s staff and move most of its functions to other government agencies. The Office of Federal Student Aid would likely move to the Department of the Treasury,” the FAQ page reads. “Title IX and Title VI civil rights enforcement would likely move to the Department of Justice. Cuts in the federal workforce could disrupt or slow down the administration of some financial aid programs.”
The Education Department was established in 1979 and is responsible for managing federal loans and Pell Grants for college students as well as enforcing civil rights laws in schools nationwide. On March 11, employees received an email that the lease in Boston’s Education Department office had been terminated. Though Northeastern’s offices that manage financial aid and civil rights laws will remain open, the Boston office closures could impact the guidance they receive from Federal and State liaisons.
Some of the divisions within the Boston office of the Department of Education hit hardest by the recent cuts include the Office for Civil Rights and the Office of Federal Student Aid. Cuts in these offices could lead to delays in financial aid processing and slower responses to civil rights complaints. The Trump administration, backed by Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, has responded to criticism by claiming that these offices will be moved to other departments, not eradicated.
In a March 10 update to the FAQ page, the university addressed the looming March 14 deadline of a spending bill. Congress is supposed to allocate funding for government agencies prior to October 1st, but usually rely on temporary spending bills to keep the government operating while they finish organizing funding. However, the current temporary bill is set to expire on Friday, which could lead to a government shutdown. This would impact areas managed by the Department of Education, like research grants, loan repayment programs and halt in-progress civil rights complaints.
However, on March 13, Senator Chuck Schumer, the minority leader of the Senate, lined up enough votes to advance a Republican-backed bill to keep the government open, meaning federal funding will continue to flow for now.
Last July, following the mass arrest of pro-Palestine protesters at an encampment on Northeastern’s campus in April, more than a dozen students and alumni filed a complaint against Northeastern with the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, demanding an investigation into discrimination against Palestinian and Palestine-supporting students.
It is also expected that financial aid programs, like Pell Grants, which are awarded to students to display “exceptional financial need,” and student loans may suffer due to administrative shortcomings. In the 2023-24 academic year, around 63% of Northeastern undergraduates and at least 75% of incoming Northeastern students received some form of financial aid.
Additionally, Title IX and Title VI investigations, which deal with discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color and national origin, may suffer delays. At Northeastern, such complaints are handled by The Office for University Equity and Compliance, which works to ensure Northeastern complies with federal, state and local anti-discrimination laws.
Laws passed by Congress will ensure that federal student aid, like Pell Grants and loans, will endure, but might suffer delays. The Federal Application for Free Student Aid, which determines a student’s eligibility for federal financial aid, appears to be unaffected. Moreover, federal student loans will still be managed by the government, but administrative delays are likely.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey expressed outrage about department cuts, claiming that Massachusetts, a state with a strong academic foundation, would suffer.
“I’m a governor of the state that had the first school in the country and the first college in the country. … What are parents going to do? What are families going to do? ….The services that your family gets for your child in Massachusetts [could] go away … We can’t begin to make up for those cuts, and it breaks my heart.”
