US Government Shutdown Halts Many Education Department Operations

As a partial federal government shutdown commenced at midnight, the U.S. Department of Education—already halved in size by Trump administration cuts—braces for significant operational halts, with 87% of its workforce furloughed and key functions like civil rights probes and new grant issuances suspended. The impasse stems from congressional deadlock over a $1.7 trillion spending bill, expiring September 30, amid Republican demands for deeper spending reductions and Democratic pushes for protections in social programmes.

President Donald Trump, who has long advocated dismantling the department as a bastion of "liberal thinking", warned late Tuesday that prolonged disruptions could lead to permanent eliminations of federal roles, diverging from past shutdowns where furloughs were temporary.

Established in 1979 to centralise federal education policy, the department oversees a $79 billion annual budget, funding everything from student aid to school equity initiatives. Trump's renewed push since his January inauguration has accelerated its contraction: The Supreme Court in July upheld mass layoffs, reducing staff from 4,100 to about 2,500, with Education Secretary Linda McMahon testifying in May that some cuts "severed muscle" essential for core operations.

McMahon, a former WWE executive appointed in 2025, noted reversals for select roles but emphasised a "lean" structure. The White House Office of Management and Budget has signalled that this shutdown—the fourth under Trump—may not guarantee recalls, potentially exacerbating a 20% rise in unresolved complaints since March layoffs.

Federal student aid, a cornerstone managing the $1.6 trillion loan portfolio, will largely persist uninterrupted in the short term. Pell Grants and loans for 9.9 million students across 5,400 institutions continue disbursing, and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) processing remains active, aiding incoming freshmen. Borrowers must still meet payment deadlines via third-party servicers, with 632 of 747 Office of Federal Student Aid staff furloughed but essential rulemaking for Republican-backed reforms like the "One Big Beautiful Bill" exempt. However, longer shutdowns could strain servicers, echoing 2018-2019 delays that affected 40 million borrowers.

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School funding and civil rights enforcement face steeper impacts. While summer-disbursed grants like Title I for low-income schools and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act allocations flow onwards—minimising immediate K-12 disruptions—the department halts new awards and advisory services. Impact Aid for 1,200 districts near federal lands, such as military bases, risks payment gaps if unresolved within a week, per contingency plans. Critically, the Office for Civil Rights, gutted by 50% staff losses, pauses all investigations into discrimination claims based on race, sex, or disability, worsening a backlog amid rising complaints.

Data shows resolution rates down 15% since cuts, raising alarms from advocates like the National Education Association about vulnerable students' protections in an era of heightened scrutiny over equity policies.

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