News

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on March 20 calling for the closure of the Department of Education.

The Department of Education, or DoE, manages things like student aid, the FAFSA and student loans. This shutdown means that many high school seniors are unsure of what financial aid they will be able to receive going into college this year.

Although the order calls for the complete shutdown of the department, it is unclear if a full shutdown will happen. Normally, it would require congressional approval to actually go through. Whether or not a shut down goes into full effect, the order has already caused the department to shrink in scale.

On March 21, half of the DoE’s work force was put on administrative leave in response to the order cutting its staff from 4133 down to 2183. The department is set to maintain its statutory programs, including managing loans and grants, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s website.

Whether student aid programs delivered through the FAFSA will be continued by the department is unclear, making some students worry about the future of student aid.

Elmira High School senior Jacob Bradley is worried about students’ abilities to attend college given the changes.

“I think it is not good because our universities are already paying a high price and if there is no federal funding then a lot of people can’t go to university,” said Bradley.

The situation is also unique because of how little institutions know about how much of the order is actually going into effect.

EHS counselor Court Wirth says that for other major events, such as last year’s ice storms, colleges have been proactive in communicating with high schools with guidance, however he has received no information from them about the department shutdown.

“I’m reading what’s out there but we’ve not been receiving any guidance,” Wirth told Falcon News.

Wirth’s advice to seniors who are worried about their federal student aid is to be proactive about contacting their prospective colleges to make sure they are making the most informed decisions regarding the subject.

“What I would advise students to do and what I would do is reach out to whatever college they are considering,” said Wirth.

Currently, there are multiple cases going to court regarding the order, so the extent that it will impact students is still unclear.