What is the role of the US Department of Education? Will its dissolution affect studying abroad in the US?

US President Donald Trump holds the executive order after signing it with US Secretary of Education Linda McMahon at the White House on March 20.

PHOTO: AFP

The Role of the US Department of Education

Established in 1979, the U.S. Department of Education’s primary job is to provide money to college students through grants and loans. It is also responsible for distributing federal funds to public schools, primarily for students with disabilities and those from disadvantaged backgrounds, and enforcing anti-discrimination laws.

According to The New York Times , school funding has been approved by Congress and is unlikely to be affected by President Donald Trump’s executive order. However, the role of overseeing these funds could be reduced and transferred to other federal agencies.

Overall, federal funding for public schools accounts for only about 10% of the total amount schools receive. And while Mr. Trump has always said he wants to return education management to the states, in reality, state governments already have full control over local education and mainly use state tax money to pay for educational activities.

The US Department of Education also has no authority to decide on the curriculum or textbook list in public schools.

The U.S. Department of Education also administers tests to track how well American students are doing and compare them to their peers in other states and countries. In addition, the agency plays a major role in funding educational research projects and disseminating the findings of those studies.

However, The New York Times said that the closure of the US Department of Education "may not have much immediate impact on the way schools and universities operate." Because the Trump administration is considering assigning the US Treasury to disburse loans and grants to students, while the US Department of Health and Human Services manages the budget for students with disabilities.

Meanwhile, according to AFP , the US Department of Education cannot be closed without the approval of the US Congress, but Mr. Trump's order is likely to leave the department short of money and staff. "The Department of Education will be much smaller than it is today," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters before the signing ceremony.

What is it like to study in the US?

Dr. Le Bao Thang, Director of the international education consulting company OSI Vietnam, commented that in the event that the US Department of Education is dissolved in the near future, the US study abroad market will also be "completely unaffected", from the country's study abroad policies to the admission regulations of universities.

Specifically analyzing, Dr. Thang said that American education has a specific hierarchy. In which, the US Department of Education, or in other words the federal Department of Education, has "symbolic meaning". In fact, the management of American universities, especially public units, belongs to the authority of the state, and any school that wants to recruit international students must receive approval from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Meanwhile, regarding regulations on foreign student recruitment, universities will normally take responsibility themselves, Dr. Thang added.

According to statistics from ICE, in 2023, there were 31,310 Vietnamese studying in the US, ranking 6th in the number of international students. This is the first time the number of Vietnamese studying in the US has reached more than 30,000 after 2 years below 30,000. However, if we consider the number of international students in high schools alone, Vietnam is the 5th largest with 3,187 people, behind China, South Korea, Mexico, and Spain.