U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon has issued a statement marking the first year of education reforms under the Trump Administration, highlighting several initiatives and policy changes implemented over the past year.
“In one year, the Trump Administration has ended business as usual in education and refocused the system on students, not special interests,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “We’ve empowered families with more school choice options, encouraged states to maximize their flexibility under the law to innovate in K-12, and began returning education to the states and local communities. On college campuses, we’ve worked with institutions to prioritize free inquiry and student safety—not ideological agendas—and to confront rising tuition costs. We are aggressively implementing President Trump’s Working Families Tax Cuts Act, which will expand Pell grant eligibility to affordable, workforce-aligned, postsecondary options and simplify a badly broken student loan repayment system. As we enter year two: buckle up, because our foot is on the gas.”
The Department of Education reported actions aimed at increasing state control over education policies. These included collaborating with other agencies to reduce federal oversight in favor of state-led innovation in workforce development and K-12 programs. Officials visited various types of schools across nearly 30 states to gather feedback from educators and families.
Financial support for charter schools was expanded with a $500 million investment—the largest ever for this program—while Iowa became the first state approved for a waiver granting more control over federal education funds.
The Department also redirected funding toward evidence-based literacy programs and school choice initiatives while eliminating over $2 billion in spending it deemed unnecessary or divisive. Additional grants were awarded: over $208 million went toward increasing credentialed psychologists in schools; $167 million supported nationwide literacy improvements; more than $50 million funded short-term academic programs at colleges; and another $50 million supported responsible artificial intelligence curricula.
In higher education policy, civil rights enforcement was revised through agreements with seven universities—Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University, University of Virginia, Brown University, Northwestern University, and Wagner College—to address diversity policies and uphold merit-based admissions standards.
A new portal was launched for reporting foreign funding on campuses to increase transparency regarding international financial influence.
The Department stated it halted what it described as illegal student loan forgiveness efforts by the previous administration and reached an agreement with Missouri concerning federal loan repayment plans. Efforts were made to prevent fraud in Federal Student Aid distribution by introducing identity verification measures.
Changes were made to streamline the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process by launching it earlier than before and adding new tools such as an earnings indicator for students evaluating college choices. The accreditor recognition process was also simplified to foster competition among universities.
Civil rights enforcement related to Title IX was realigned with prior regulations after reversing changes made during the previous administration. The Department launched investigations into both higher education institutions and K-12 schools concerning compliance with Title IX protections for women’s sports participation and privacy in facilities. Investigations were also initiated into allegations of antisemitic harassment on campuses as well as concerns about race-based admission practices.
Additional probes targeted state departments of education accused of withholding student records from parents related to gender identity issues.
According to Secretary McMahon's statement, these steps reflect a broader effort by the Department of Education under President Trump’s leadership to shift decision-making authority away from Washington D.C., increase parental involvement in educational choices, address campus safety concerns, adjust federal financial aid processes, and change how civil rights laws are enforced within educational settings.
