US Education in the Trump 2.0: A timeline of what changed in just 6 months
The second presidency of Donald Trump, inaugurated on January 20, 2025, has brought significant changes to the United States’ federal education policy landscape. Over the first six months of the administration, sweeping reforms were undertaken that affected the US Department of Education (USED), civil rights enforcement, university funding, Title IX and Title VI interpretations, and DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives across K–12 and higher education.Through executive orders, administrative actions, and Department-led initiatives, the Trump administration pursued a course of decentralisation, framing the movement as returning educational control to states and local communities. The restructuring included staff reductions, program eliminations, funding freezes, and legal battles surrounding enforcement of federal civil rights laws.January 2025: Executive orders and reorientation of USED prioritiesJanuary 20, 2025: Donald Trump was inaugurated for his second term as President of the United States.January 20–23: President Trump signed multiple executive orders aimed at dismantling DEI efforts across federal agencies. Most notably, Executive Order 14151 repealed Executive Order 11246, a landmark policy that had established affirmative action programmes requiring federal contractors to promote workforce diversity. This repeal effectively ended federal affirmative action requirements and led to the closure of DEI offices within government departments, marking a significant shift away from institutional efforts to address systemic inequities.Additional executive orders signed on January 20 included:• Executive Order on Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government: This defined sex as male and female based on biological classification at birth, rescinding prior Title IX protections for gender identity and sexual orientation.• Executive Order on Expanding School Choice: Promoted public fund usage for private education, reducing federal involvement in K–12 education.• Executive Order on Ending Radical Indoctrination in K–12 Schooling: Reinstated the 1776 Commission to promote “patriotic education” and prohibited funding for schools promoting gender or equity ideologies.January 29, 2025: Executive Order 14190, titled “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K–12 Schooling”, was signed. The order categorised the teaching of gender ideology and critical race theory as subversive acts, calling for investigations and the possibility of criminal penalties against educators facilitating social transitions for transgender students.January 31, 2025: USED issued a “Dear Colleague” letter signalling the return to the 2020 Title IX rules from Trump’s first term. The rules narrowed the definition of sexual harassment, reinstated live hearings, and limited institutional liability. Legal challenges from education advocacy organisations followed.February 2025: DEI-related investigations and legal actionsFebruary 2, 2025: USED placed approximately 100 employees on administrative leave, primarily not related to DEI, as part of enforcement under Executive Order 14151.February 3, 2025: USED opened Title VI investigations into five universities—Columbia, Northwestern, Portland State, UC Berkeley, and the University of Minnesota—over allegations of antisemitic harassment linked to campus protests. Investigations followed Trump’s Executive Order on Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism.February 5, 2025: The “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” executive order was signed. It directed USED to enforce Title IX such that transgender women would be barred from participating in women’s sports. The NCAA responded by restricting eligibility in line with the order. The University of Pennsylvania subsequently lost $175 million in federal funding due to its past compliance with more inclusive NCAA policies.February 10, 2025: USED terminated $336 million in Regional Educational Laboratory grants and $33 million in Equity Assistance Centre funding. The cancellations cited DEI and critical race theory content as misaligned with federal goals. Eight states filed suit, alleging violations of the Administrative Procedure Act.February 13, 2025: Linda McMahon was confirmed as Secretary of Education by the Senate (52–48 vote), with her agenda aligned toward dismantling the Department of Education.February 14, 2025: USED’s Office for Civil Rights issued a “Dear Colleague” letter interpreting the Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard Supreme Court decision as invalidating all DEI programmes. The letter gave institutions 14 days to comply or face funding loss. Legal action followed, and a federal judge in New Hampshire granted a preliminary injunction against enforcement.March 2025: Layoffs, legal resistance, and executive restructuring ordersMarch 1, 2025: An FAQ was issued by USED OCR clarifying the February letter’s provisions. Despite adjustments, a Maryland federal court issued a nationwide injunction blocking the executive order’s implementation.March 3, 2025: Secretary McMahon publicly outlined the “final mission” of USED as the decentralisation of federal education control and dismantling of the Department.March 11, 2025: USED announced a workforce reduction of approximately 2,000 employees—nearly half its staff. Layoffs impacted civil rights, special education, student aid, and research functions. An additional 600 employees resigned voluntarily.The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) was nearly dismantled, with $900 million in research grants cancelled. USED’s civil rights office saw over 40% staffing cuts.March 14, 2025: The Senate passed H.R. 1968, a Continuing Resolution funding key education programmes like Title I and IDEA through 30 September 2025. On the same day, USED launched Title VI investigations into 45 universities over race-exclusive DEI activities.March 19, 2025: The administration cut $175 million in funding to the University of Pennsylvania, citing Title IX violations.March 20, 2025: President Trump signed an executive order titled “Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities”, instructing Secretary McMahon to facilitate the closure of USED and reassign responsibilities to Treasury, HHS, DOJ, and others.March 24, 2025: Over 20 state attorneys general filed a lawsuit to block USED layoffs. A federal judge issued an injunction temporarily pausing further terminations and restructuring.March 31, 2025: The administration issued detailed oversight demands to Harvard, including audits and DEI policy reviews. Harvard President Alan Garber rejected these as unconstitutional.April 2025: Escalation of funding cuts and DEI restrictionsApril 3–11, 2025: The Trump administration expanded its demands on Harvard University. It requested a four-year audit covering academic governance, hiring practices, and curriculum oversight. In response, President Alan Garber reaffirmed resistance on April 14, citing constitutional protections. Litigation from faculty associations followed.April 14, 2025: The administration froze over $2.2 billion in federal grants and $60 million in contracts to Harvard, citing concerns over DEI and antisemitism. Similar funding holds were placed on Columbia University (approx. $400 million), Cornell University (over $1 billion), and Northwestern University (approx. $790 million).April 23, 2025: President Trump signed a new executive order targeting DEI in higher education. The order required institutions to disclose all foreign financial ties, decertified DEI programmes for accreditation purposes, and revoked Obama- and Biden-era equity-based discipline guidance for K–12 schools. The new policy mandated behaviour-based discipline approaches and prohibited what it described as race-conscious disciplinary policies.May 2025: Institutional scrutiny and proposed agency transfersMay 12, 2025: A task force including USED, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the General Services Administration (GSA) revoked an additional $450 million in federal grants to Harvard. The justification cited continuing violations of Title VI and DEI enforcement failures.May 22, 2025: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a notice of intent to revoke Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Programme (SEVP) certification, threatening its international student enrolment. A federal judge swiftly granted an injunction, blocking the move.Late May 2025: USED and HHS opened a civil rights investigation into the Harvard Law Review following an alleged Title VI violation related to article submission practices. The investigation cited discriminatory procedures and editorial decision-making linked to DEI frameworks.May 2025 (ongoing)The Trump administration began discussing the structural reassignment of USED responsibilities. Proposals included moving:• Student loans to the Department of the Treasury or the Small Business Administration (SBA),• Special education oversight to HHS,• Civil rights enforcement to the Department of Justice (DOJ).No formal transfers were completed by July 15, 2025, as such actions require congressional authorisation. The resulting uncertainty affected planning for institutions and borrowers.June–July 2025: Court rulings and further dismantling effortsJune 6, 2025: Federal Judge Myong Joun upheld a March injunction that blocked further USED layoffs and agency restructuring. The ruling reaffirmed that layoffs and transfers without congressional oversight exceeded executive authority.July 14, 2025: The US Supreme Court, through its shadow docket, lifted the injunction, enabling the Department to terminate approximately 1,400 employees. The affected roles were largely within civil rights enforcement, special education, and federal research divisions. The Court’s order allowed the Trump administration to proceed with dismantling USED functions, despite objections from legal and civil rights groups.Ongoing legal challenges and court rulings (January–July 2025)Multiple legal actions have been filed against the Trump administration’s education policies, leading to several notable court decisions:• Boston Federal Court (March 2025): A lawsuit by 20 state attorneys general challenged the legality of USED staff terminations. A judge ordered staff reinstatement, but the administration reportedly delayed full compliance.• Maryland Federal Court (March 2025): A nationwide injunction was issued blocking major provisions of the anti-DEI executive orders, temporarily safeguarding grant eligibility.• New Hampshire Federal Court (March 2025): A judge blocked the enforcement of the February 14 “Dear Colleague” letter, ruling that it infringed upon free speech protections.• New York Federal Court (February 2025): The American Association of University Professors and the American Federation of Teachers filed a case over Columbia’s funding cuts, alleging unconstitutional restrictions on institutional autonomy and academic speech.These legal developments have resulted in temporary relief for some institutions, though broader challenges remain pending in federal courts.July 15, 2025: Current statusAs of July 15, 2025, the US Department of Education remains operational, though significantly weakened. While full congressional dissolution of USED has not occurred, its functions have been curtailed through staffing reductions, executive orders, and agency restructuring.Core federal education programmes such as Pell Grants, Title I, and IDEA remain active. However, questions persist regarding their future oversight and delivery mechanisms. Universities, particularly Ivy League institutions, continue to face funding freezes and investigations related to DEI and antisemitism compliance.Summary of actions and institutional impacts
Legal and political contextDespite multiple lawsuits and preliminary injunctions, the administration has proceeded with its education reform agenda. The Supreme Court’s intervention to lift an injunction on USED layoffs marked a key turning point, raising concerns about separation of powers. While Congress holds the authority to dissolve federal agencies, no legislative action to abolish USED has occurred as of mid-July.The Trump administration has framed its education strategy as an effort to return control to states, eliminate bureaucratic inefficiencies, and protect what it describes as American values. The coming months are expected to include continued legal battles, potential legislative standoffs, and policy shifts as USED’s functions are reassessed.TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here.
