In the wake of Donald Trump’s inauguration, the future of the Department of Education is ever more relevant for students at Austin Peay State University. According to the 2022-2023 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, 96% of APSU students receive federal grants, a stark increase from the reported median of 56%.
As part of his campaign platform, President Trump has supported closing the Department of Education, which handles federal education assistance. One significant part of this role is distributing and monitoring financial aid for students pursuing postsecondary education. This includes grants, work-study programs and student loans.
For many, the fear of dissolving the Department of Education is the loss of federal student aid programs. Slashing funding would likely affect work-study and student loan forgiveness but may not impact other facets of financial aid like Pell Grants.
However, some experts claim that these responsibilities would simply be shifted to a different federal department—not disappearing entirely. President Trump cannot dismantle the DOE without congressional backing, but he can still make significant changes.
APSU students have their own thoughts. “I think it would be disastrous. The American education system is already poorly designed and underfunded, and dismantling the Department of Education would not fix these problems but exacerbate them,” said freshman Arden Roelle.
Roelle’s sentiment is shared among students like junior Hope Link. “If we stop any sort of financial aid then it is definitely going to stop any possible ‘class’ movement. The poor stay poor, rich get richer type,” said Link.
However, others aren’t so certain. “There is too much corruption, unionization and political [bias] within our education department,” argues senior Ryan Ayers. “I see it only being a benefit because the federal government should not dictate our lives. We are a constitutional republic with protections in place from tyranny…”
The future of the Department of Education remains uncertain. Regardless, it has the potential to impact postsecondary education both in Clarksville and across the country.
