Recent mass layoffs at the Department of Education on Tuesday, following President Donald Trump’s preliminary executive order to dismantle the agency altogether, left USC communities uncertain about the future of federal student aid and funded services.
The Education Department wrote in a released statement, “All divisions within the Department are impacted by the reduction,” and noted that the current workforce stood at 2,183 employees, nearly half of the 4,133 person staff before the cuts. According to AP News, the sharp decline in staff has created significant challenges, with remaining employees facing overwhelming backlogs and an inability to absorb the caseloads of their dismissed colleagues.
For students, the most immediate impact will likely be felt in the realm of federal student aid. Already, recent changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) have caused delays and technical difficulties, leaving thousands of students struggling to secure their financial aid packages on time.
Steve Desir, an Assistant Professor of Research at USC Rossier School of Education, warns that the situation could rapidly deteriorate.
“Think about how many students were impacted by the bumpy FAFSA rollout, and take that and multiply it by 100, because that’s how our communities will be impacted,” Desir said. “If you ever want to see how difficult it is to manage that [federal student aid] process, try to fill out a help ticket on the FAFSA website.”
Desir cited technical difficulties the new Financial Student Aid applications and rollouts brought students last year.
Beyond financial aid, the layoffs also pose serious concerns for departments such as the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), which is responsible for investigating claims of discrimination, harassment and violations of student rights at institutions across the country. The OCR plays a crucial role in ensuring compliance with Title IX regulations, including cases involving sexual misconduct policies at universities like USC. A reduction in staffing could slow down the timeline of investigations.
Miguel Hijar-Chiapa, a third year doctoral student in the department of Political Science and International Relations, said he sees the layoffs as part of a broader attack on education.
“Those in power always want to claim their own regimes of truth. They want to determine what is real and what is not,” Hijar-Chiapa said. “In many ways, it is an attack on education and education that is not catering to certain circles of people.”
The political implications of these layoffs could extend far beyond individual universities, affecting the nation’s ability to cultivate an informed and educated public. According to Hijar-Chiapa, education is fundamental to a functioning democracy, and restricting access to resources like financial aid and civil rights protections could have lasting consequences.
“These will have very serious consequences, not just for education but for political life in the United States,” Hijar-Chiapa said. “If you have fewer educators, you cannot devote the same amount of time to everybody in the classroom. If you don’t have an adequate amount of educators, that will be detrimental.”
For USC students, the layoffs are already sparking anxiety about what comes next. Nicole Figueroa, a freshman studying journalism, voiced concerns about the future of her education and how the cuts could impact her and her peers.
“Honestly it feels like everything is going downhill, especially for the Department of Education,” Figueroa said. “We are all college students and I feel like that will affect me directly.”
Even students who do not receive financial aid are worried about the ripple effects of the layoffs. Figueroa emphasized that while she does not personally depend on federal aid, she is concerned about how this situation might discourage prospective students from applying to elite institutions like USC or Ivy League schools.
“I haven’t seen a lot of people talking about this, and this is super concerning,” she said. “I honestly think with FAFSA, it could make students not want to apply to schools like USC or Ivy Leagues.”
While the full impact of the layoffs remain uncertain, one fact is clear: students and educators alike are bracing for significant disruptions.