President-Elect Donald Trump recently pledged to shut down the Department of Education which raised questions about the future of federal education programs and their impact on students. Dallas College Chancellor Justin Lonon said the agency has weathered similar threats in the past.
“There have been presidents in the past that have said that they were gonna eliminate the education department as well,” the chancellor said.
“It remains to be seen whether he will or not. But what I will say is there are vital programs that exist at the federal level.”
Lonon said that while certain programs might be restructured or placed under other departments, important services like federal financial aid are likely to remain in tact.
“I expect that there’s some that may not exist or may morph into something else,” he added. “But many of those necessary federal programs are gonna have to continue to exist, and I expect that they will.”
Students at Dallas College expressed mixed reactions to the prospect of the Department of Education being dismantled. Maria Nayrez, a Richland education major, was concerned about the repercussions for programs they depend on, such as Pell Grants.
“I rely on financial aid to pay for school,” she said. “If that gets messed up, I don’t know what I would do.”
Christian Ortiz, a business major, echoed her concerns.
“I think a lot of people, especially in community colleges, depend on the federal area to make college affordable,” he said. “If those are not available anymore, it could really hurt students like me.”
On the other hand, Richland student Brittanna Taylor, saw potential benefits in shifting responsibilities to the state level.
“If it gets moved to the state level, I think it could mean more local control, which might not be a bad thing,” she said. “But I’m also a little worried about what might happen in the transition.”
The chancellor also addressed the possibility of state agencies, such as the Texas Education Agency or the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, taking on new responsibilities if the Department of Education is dissolved.
However, he emphasized that the situation remains speculative. “At this point, it remains to be seen what the overall impact will be,” he said.