BOCA RATON, Fla. — The Department of Education announced it is eliminating jobs at the federal agency in a press release on Tuesday.
The “reduction in force” will cut the agency’s staff virtually in half from 4,133 positions before President Donald Trump’s inauguration to 2,183 positions. The agency said in the release this included about 600 employees who accepted voluntary resignation opportunities and retirement over the last seven weeks.
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Nadirah Hossian, who identified herself as a first semester student at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), said she's commuting to campus from West Palm Beach daily to save money for school. She said she’s studying to become a neurosurgeon and uses Department of Education programs, like the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to afford her tuition.
“If I didn’t have FAFSA right now, I don’t know what I would do next,” Hossian said. “I don’t want to take money from my parents.”
She said she’s concerned the cuts at the Department of Education will affect their ability to process her application, potentially not allowing her to register for classes next semester.
“That would be horrible for me,” Hossian said. “I can’t imagine waiting even longer and there’s millions of people applying and they have to wait and if the money doesn’t come in time then I can’t apply for next semester classes.”
Nathan Daun-Barnett, who researches education policy at the State University of New York at Buffalo, said the cuts will likely increase the amount of time it takes to process FAFSA applications. He also said this will delay the amount of time it takes campuses to get student’s financial information packages, especially at smaller regional or two-year institutions where people haven’t applied yet.
“They’re going to feel this pain and it’s going to be more last-minute for them,” Daun-Barnett. “…They will be affected by the processing lag time at the department.”
He also said the effects of the cuts are hypotheticals because it’s unknown if the department could perform with the same amount of efficiency. However, Daun-Barnett said the uncertainty will likely depress enrollment rates because individuals are less likely to want to engage with the Department of Education for services.
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“I’m really concerned about that because the people who haven’t applied right now are the folks who don’t have enough information,” he said. “These are the folks who are first-gen, lower income kids, the folks who maybe didn’t do as well in high school that at the last minute might decide to go to college.”
The Department of Education said all divisions within the department are impacted by the reduction in the release posted on Tuesday. It also said some divisions will require significant organization to better serve students, parents, educators, and taxpayers.
“Today’s reduction in force reflects the Department of Education’s commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers,” said Secretary of Education Linda McMahon in the release. “I appreciate the work of the dedicated public servants and their contributions to the Department. This is a significant step toward restoring the greatness of the United States education system.”
The release also said the federal agency will continue to deliver on all statutory programs that fall under the agency’s purview, including formula funding, student loans, Pell Grants, funding for special needs students, and competitive grantmaking.
