MINOT, N.D. (KMOT) – The U.S. Department of Education said Federal Student Aid provides about $120 billion each year in grants and loans to help students pay for college.
President Donald Trump’s plan to dismantle the Department of Education has many people wondering about the future of financial aid.
For more than three decades, federal student aid has allowed millions of Americans to pursue higher education.
The Department of Education oversees the program.
For weeks, President Donald Trump has hinted at plans to eliminate the education department.
Minot State University financial aid director Laurie Weber said they are not exactly sure how this will affect financial aid if it does happen, but there is one thing for sure: financial aid will not go away.
“The programs can’t be eliminated without Congress’ participation. A swipe of a pen, an executive director, doesn’t mean that those programs will fail to exist. They will continue to exist unless Congress takes action to change that,” said Weber.
President Trump plans on pushing Congress to approve the idea, but it has been shot down multiple times.
Weber said this does not mean there won’t be any financial help for students.
“With all the buyouts and elimination of positions, there will sure to be some fallout in terms of service and the timeliness of responses,” said Weber.
She said about 80% of students at Minot State received some type of financial aid last year.
Although this topic may seem overwhelming for some, Weber reassured students not to panic or feel discouraged.
“Proceed as normal. In the midst of this sort of bumpy area, I think we will potentially experience delays, but don’t give up. Don’t decide not to go to school because of it,” said Weber.
Federal student aid includes programs like Pell Grants, work-study, and student loans— all authorized under the Higher Education Act.
An executive order to eliminate the department is expected to be talked about this week.
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