Latest efforts to dismantle ED: Another wrench in a disruptive year
Published Nov 19, 2025
WASHINGTON, DC (November 19, 2025) – Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) President & CEO Mamie Voight released the following statement regarding the Trump Administration’s announcement to shift key Department of Education’s responsibilities to other federal agencies:
“The U.S. Department of Education’s latest attempt to whittle down the agency’s duties throws yet another wrench in an already disruptive year for our nation’s higher education system,” said IHEP President Mamie Voight. “These moves shift us away from what has long been a national and federally supported imperative – helping students, especially our most vulnerable students, secure a high-quality postsecondary education that promotes lifelong success and a competitive economy. Creating more bureaucratic hurdles for colleges and grantees to navigate does nothing to optimize the programs designed to strengthen our nation’s colleges and universities. Instead, the planned interagency agreements will sow confusion among those promoting college-going and student success. These plans to disperse crucial education functions also ignore the specialized expertise required to implement these programs effectively and the efficiency that comes from administering education-specific programs in a coordinated manner.
“Let’s not forget the missteps taken by this Education Department over the last few months. Essential research and data collections have halted, stalling our ability to gauge how our students are faring in college and in the workforce. Grants that support the success of all students who attend Minority Serving Institutions and Hispanic-Serving Institutions are no longer available. And Postsecondary Student Success Grants, the very program designed to scale evidence-based practices with a track record of increasing college completion, won’t be awarded this year. Taken together, these actions chip away at the carefully laid foundation of federal supports for student success.
“Congress alone can dismantle a federal agency. Sidestepping legislative branch oversight by creating a maze of interagency agreements rebukes Congressional authority, and in turn, the will of the American public. We urge Congressional leaders to step up for students and families longing to make their college dreams a reality and halt efforts to dismantle the Education Department. History is still watching.”
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