The Trump administration is cutting back roughly half of the Department of Education workforce. People are left with questions and concerns about how this will affect students, especially those from low-income families.

The Layoffs

On Tuesday, the Department of Education announced major layoffs. The Department of Education consists of 4,133 employees but will now be consolidated down to only 2,183 employees after the layoffs.

3,000 employees are working in the Department of Education offices in Washington, and about another 1,000 employees working in the 10 regional offices across the country. It is one of the smallest cabinet-level federal departments.

The department only received $268 billion in the fiscal year of 2024, which is only 4% of the federal budget. To begin, it announced that there would be 1,315 layoffs.

Those 1,315 employees will receive termination notices and be allowed to return to the office to clean out their desks and return any government property. Another 600 people had previously accepted voluntary resignations or early retirement.

More than 300 of those 600 employees took voluntary separation incentives up to $25,000, while about 260 accepted deferred resignation packages, and another 63 probationary workers were let go.

All department employees affected by the layoffs will be placed on paid administrative leave beginning March 21, and all employees from the regional offices in San Francisco, New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas and Cleveland will be fired as part of the layoffs.

The plan is to eventually consolidate into one office in Washington, D.C., which currently has three offices.

The Administration’s Statements

The current Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, is famously known for once being the CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

In response to the layoffs, McMahon stated, “It reflects the department’s commitment to efficiency, accountability and ensuring the resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents and teachers.”

McMahon also said that the layoffs were the first step on the road toward shutting down the department. She did acknowledge, however, that she and President Trump do not have the power to dissolve a federal agency without congressional approval.

Washington State Senator Patty Murray, a senior member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee, responded to Trump and McMahon’s actions.

“[They] know they can’t abolish the Department of Education on their own,” she said, “but they understand that if you gut it to its very core and fire all people who run the program that help students, families and teachers, you might end up with a similar, ruinous result.”

The Trump administration has already made plans as to where it would move the financial federal aid previously allocated to the Department of Education.

Section 7 of the States’ Education Reclamation Act of 2025 (H.R. 369), states: “The Federal Pell Grant program under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 shall be transferred to the Department of the Treasury.”

Implications the Mass Layoff May Have

A lot of people are worried about how the Department of Education will be able to handle its workload if it cuts its workforce by half, as well as what effects this will have on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

As of right now, senior officials from the department have said that the cuts will not impact federal student aid in any way, shape or form, nor will it affect department functions.

Mackenna Perez, a financial aid representative, provided a statement on this issue.

“When the statement from the presidential administration went out that they are withholding funds, there was no specification on the Title IV higher education funds such as Pell Grant and those types of grant funds,” she said.

“At this time, there will be no withholding of those federal funds,” she continued. “However, this is subject to change if anything moves forward.” But shortly after, that statement was retracted as they specified what specific funds they were looking at.

“But as far as we are aware, there is no specific information on the Pell Grant being affected. But if that does change, we will issue a statement. State funding such as Cal Grant is not affected at all.”

Although senior officials from the department have stated that federal student aid will not be impacted or affected in any way, students are still worried about the implications.

Data from the University website shows that 79% of students receive financial aid (all degree-seeking undergraduates, ‘’22-’23), and the average amount of financial aid received is $10,606.

Dr. Ann Strahm, a professor of sociology at Stan State, shared her thoughts on this issue.

“A bunch of billionaires deciding that middle-class professional people who have worked really hard and got an education and have dedicated their lives to public service are not valuable is highly problematic,” she said.

“And closing down the Department of Education for security reasons, then firing half the staff there after 6 p.m. is really douchey,” she continued, “and says a whole lot about our leadership and what they think of all of us as citizens and workers.”

In response to senior officials saying that student aid won’t be affected at all, Strahm questioned the legitimacy of their statements.

“How is it that it’s not going to be affected if you have gotten rid of half the workforce that would be the people to process that?” she asked. “So there is the live capacity to just give off-handed remarks that nothing will be affected, and there’s the reality of what is going to happen to our students and their right to get a decent education.”

Zoie Fowler-Landin (Senior, Business Administration) shared her fears and concerns over the federal government’s move to shrink the department.

“I think it’s an extremely careless action,” she said. “Now, nearly half the number of employees are expected to uphold the same standards. I can only imagine how delayed FAFSA payments can be, which will affect so many students and their ability to pay for school.

“I depend on FAFSA to get through school, so it is stressful to see the uncertainty surrounding the Department of Education right now.”

Tea Cassius White (Sophomore, Nursing), a student from Modesto Junior College, felt worried for communities that might be more impacted by these cuts.

“Honestly, cutting half the Department of Education staff is a huge hit to students who rely on FAFSA, especially for lower-income communities,” they said. “Applying for financial aid is already confusing and stressful, and now it might be even harder to get the help we need.

“For a lot of us,” White added, “financial aid is what makes college possible. Taking away the people who process and support that system makes it feel like they do not care if we can go to school or not. It’s frustrating and feels like another roadblock for students trying to better their future.”

Osbaldo Pineda (Senior, Business Administration) also questioned President Trump’s agenda and his claims that this will be good for the nation.

“Cutting the Department of Education’s staff by nearly half is a terrible decision that will make an already frustrating process even worse,” he said. “As someone who has gone through the system, I know how stressful it can be to get financial aid on time, and fewer employees will only mean more delays and mistakes. Many students depend on that money for tuition and basic living expenses, so any disruption could push them into more debt or even force them to drop out.

“Beyond FAFSA,” Pineda continued, “it feels like the government is prioritizing cost-cutting over students’ futures, and that’s not a trade-off we should accept. If the goal is to ‘Make America Great Again,’ how does making education less accessible accomplish that?

“A truly great nation invests in its students, not burdens them with more obstacles. As I prepare to graduate, all I can do is wish future students the best and hope they don’t have to struggle even more just to afford an education.”