March 20, 2025
Dear NADOHE members,
Today, President Trump signed an executive order that calls for the elimination of the U.S. Department of Education. This step would further harm institutions of higher education and negatively impact diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, threatening access to education for historically underserved students and communities.
The Department of Education plays a critical role in ensuring equitable access to quality education, supporting public schools, and providing essential resources to students, teachers, and institutions of higher learning. The Department has a Congressionally-mandated role that requires it to administer, coordinate and distribute federal financial aid, to recognize accrediting agencies to ensure educational standards are met, and to investigate and enforce Title IX and Title VI’s protections against discrimination. Eliminating the federal Department of Education not only will have catastrophic consequences for higher education institutions, but also for K-12 schools across the country, as well:
- 7.4 million students with disabilities depend on funding from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to receive necessary learning support.
- 26 million students from low-income backgrounds rely on Title I funding to enhance educational opportunities and achievement.
- 9.8 million students in rural schools need federal support to bridge funding gaps.
- 6.6 million Pell Grant recipients rely on federal aid to afford college.
- Six states (Alaska, Montana, South Dakota, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Kentucky) derive more than 20 percent of their education budgets from federal funds.
The administration is misleading the public by framing this decision as an effort to return control to states. In reality, this is an effort to gut federal education funding through block grants—an ineffective, unaccountable mechanism that will result in fewer resources, larger class sizes, and deep inequities in educational access. Moreover, this move is deeply unpopular—polling from Marist shows that 63 percent of Americans, including 64 percent of Independents, oppose eliminating the Department of Education. A separate Ipsos poll confirms that 62 percent of Americans prefer guaranteed financial support for schools over block grants.
This order is not only an attack on education—it is an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in higher education and beyond. Federal oversight is crucial to advancing initiatives that support marginalized communities, ensure equal access and uphold the principles of inclusive excellence that define our work as diversity officers.
We do expect that there will be a lawsuit challenging today’s executive order. NADOHE will continue to voice opposition to what we see as reckless decision-making that leaves millions of students and educators in the wake of this misguided policy.
In solidarity,
Paulette Granberry Russell, J.D.
President and CEO
NADOHE