Donald Trump’s decisive win in the elections is expected to reverse many of President Joe Biden’s reforms aimed at improving higher education in the United States.

Throughout his presidency, Biden approved vast student loan forgiveness programs, took action against colleges that exploit students, and aimed to establish new protections for LGBTQ+ individuals. Many of these initiatives—despite facing backlash—are key Democratic priorities that may now be at risk due to Trump’s victory.

The former president’s rhetoric during his campaign, coupled with his actions during his previous term, indicates a clear agenda. He focused significantly on dismantling higher education regulations introduced by former President Barack Obama, who had a strong stance on college oversight.

The results of the recent election highlighted the noticeable divide between those with college degrees and those without. Although it’s uncertain what the president-elect will achieve during another four years in office, he is likely to leverage his support from non-college-educated voters to create a contrasting direction for higher education in America, impacting millions of students aiming for a better future.

Jon Fansmith, the senior vice president for government relations at the American Council on Education—the leading lobbying organization for colleges in Washington, D.C.—described the mood among college leaders as “uneasy.”

“The Trump campaign has consistently criticized colleges and universities,” he noted in an interview shortly after the former president’s re-election. “If you’re in the position of a college president today, you’re likely feeling a lot of uncertainty.”

Potential changes for the Department of Education

In recent years, Congress has faced challenges in passing education-related legislation. Consequently, the U.S. Department of Education has taken on a greater role, exercising its regulatory power to implement policies aligned with the sitting president’s objectives.

Since its establishment in 1979 during President Jimmy Carter’s administration, the Republicans have aimed to abolish the Department of Education. However, the department remains operational nearly 50 years later.

The department handles a variety of functions each day, including efforts to combat discrimination in educational institutions and managing the nation’s approximately $1.7 trillion federal student loan debt.

In the lead-up to Tuesday’s election, many Republicans, including Trump, intensified their rhetoric regarding the intent to disband the Department of Education entirely.

“We’re going to shut down the Department of Education,” Trump declared in a Fox News interview last month. He even suggested that the host of the program could be suitable for determining education policy under his administration.

“We’ll have a designated person for it,” Trump stated. “Could be you, if you retire.”

Several Republican congressional candidates, such as Tim Sheehy, who recently defeated long-serving Democratic Senator Jon Tester in Montana, echoed Trump’s sentiments during the campaign. Tester’s loss helped shift Senate control to the GOP, alongside the victory of Bernie Moreno, an Ohio Republican who also defeated a Democratic incumbent, Senator Sherrod Brown.

“We will dismantle agencies that don’t serve a purpose, including the Department of Education, and allocate that funding to the states instead,” Moreno said in a radio interview last month.

However, there are factors that reduce the chances of the department’s total dissolution.

Trump would require Congressional approval to abolish the agency, which is dependent on the unpredictable distribution of power within Congress. Even though the GOP retains control over the U.S. Senate, the final outcomes for the U.S. House of Representatives were still being determined as of Wednesday evening. Despite the potential for Republican dominance, their margins would likely be narrow in Congress, complicating any attempts to pass legislation for the elimination of a long-standing federal agency, which would surely provoke significant debate.

While Trump has expressed intentions to “close” the Education Department, he also utilized it beneficially during his first term. Some experts suggest that shuttering it may be politically detrimental, particularly considering his relationship with former education secretary, Betsy DeVos.

During their time in office, former officials have highlighted the reforms they enacted.

This sentiment was evident in Washington on Wednesday morning when a group of education experts held a discussion organized by the American Enterprise Institute, which is a conservative think tank, regarding Trump’s victory.

“To be honest, it’s impossible to implement any of his proposed initiatives without involving the Department of Education,” remarked Derrell Bradford, who is the president of 50CAN, an organization advocating for education reform.

Trump vows to remove ‘radical Left accreditors’

Project 2025 outlines a comprehensive approach to dismantling the Education Department, suggesting its functions be transferred to various other federal organizations. This plan, which has stirred controversy regarding higher education, is associated with former officials from the Trump administration and was released by The Heritage Foundation, another conservative think tank.

Nonetheless, Trump has shifted away from the group’s recommendations, opting instead for his own agenda, named Agenda47. This plan, endorsed by the president-elect, aims to “safeguard American students, enforce genuine standards in higher education, and hold colleges and universities accountable.” It also pledges to “dismiss the radical Left accreditors responsible for allowing our institutions to be overwhelmed by Marxist ideologies and extremists.”

Accreditors, which are independent organizations that monitor colleges and universities to ensure they serve the interests of students and staff, have become a key focus for many conservative figures, including Trump. Recently, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, filed a lawsuit attempting to diminish their authority, which a federal judge dismissed about a month ago.

Eddy Conroy, an accreditation specialist at the left-leaning organization New America, stated that while the accreditation process needs improvement, it remains the “most effective system” for ensuring accountability in education. He noted, “Eliminating the accreditation system – without presenting an alternative to guarantee that students receive quality education – is not a responsible governing approach.”

Student loan assistance, Title IX protections, and oversight rules at risk

The anticipated reforms may extend further.

While in office, Biden facilitated billions in student loan forgiveness, which Trump described as a “catastrophe.” Biden also sought to establish protections for LGBTQ+ individuals within educational institutions, whereas Trump has committed to “preventing men from participating in women’s sports.” Additionally, Biden reinstated college oversight regulations that were eliminated by Trump during his initial term.

Experts believe that the rapid shifts in regulations expected in the coming years could overwhelm colleges, according to Lynn Pasquerella, president of the American Association of Colleges and Universities.

“There is a significant level of moral turmoil,” she commented.

The recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings that have restricted the authority of federal agencies, including the Department of Education, are likely to increase the uncertainty surrounding regulations that colleges can anticipate from Washington. Some of these decisions, facilitated by conservative justices appointed by Trump, may even hinder new regulations that the president-elect aims to introduce, warned Robert Kelchen, a professor of higher education at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

“For the past 15 years, most policy changes have been driven by executive actions,” he explained. “It could become more challenging to pursue that route.”