Grinnell College reassured students that their financial needs will continue to be fully met, even as proposals to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) under President-elect Donald Trump resurface.
“The Trump/Vance campaign ran on a platform to eliminate the DOE and send all education work and needs back to the states,” wrote Brad Lindberg, associate vice president of institutional initiatives and enrollment, in an email to The S&B.
The DOE oversees federal student aid, including Pell Grants and work-study programs. The potential elimination of the department could impact undergraduate students receiving these forms of aid.
Noelle Buehrer `26, vice president of QuestBridge, said the College adjusts QuestBridge scholarships so students are required to pay $2,500 annually. “Which they expect you to do through work-study,” Buehrer said.
Work-study allows both domestic and international students to earn money while attending the College.
“I think it’s really important that college students have jobs they can work for spending money and just being college students,” Buehrer said.
On Nov. 14, Pam Sittig, director of financial aid, emailed students with federal aid packages to address concerns.
“Rest assured that students receiving Grinnell-funded need-based aid will receive an institutional grant to replace any federal grant if it is lost due to changes in government policy,” Sittig wrote.
The U.S. DOE was established under Democratic President Jimmy Carter in 1980, though it faced immediate opposition from Republican presidential candidate Ronald Reagan the following year. Since then, efforts to eliminate the department have periodically resurfaced in Republican platforms.
“The elimination of the DOE is not a new idea in federal politics and has been included in several past campaigns as well,” Lindberg wrote.
On Nov. 19, Trump announced Linda McMahon, co-founder of World Wrestling Entertainment and former head of the Small Business Administration (SBA), as his pick for Secretary of Education. Her tenure at the SBA, marked by reducing government spending and privatization, seems to align with Trump’s push to dismantle the DOE and shift control to states.
However, groups like the National Education Association have denounced her nomination and her precise stance on Federal Student Aid and potential plans for its replacement remain unclear.
While the dismantling of the department remains speculative, Lindberg wrote that if federal grants like the Pell Grant or Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) are eliminated, Grinnell will provide institutional grants to fill the gap.
“If it becomes Grinnell work-study instead of federal work-study, then, I would assume, not a whole lot would change,” Buehrer said.
Lindberg also emphasized that future students will not be adversely affected.
“Policy changes may mean that the College prioritizes student financial aid in the budget process and may need to identify other savings opportunities to ensure a balanced budget,” Lindberg wrote.
Despite the uncertainty, the College remains optimistic.
“We are hopeful for a future with continued federal support for students through Pell Grants and other federal programming and continue to plan for all scenarios,” Lindberg wrote.
