This message was sent to NACAC members on November 19, 2025

For the entirety of 2025, NACAC has tirelessly advocated to preserve the U.S. Department of Education. We have sent letters to Congress outlining why the department must remain intact. We have shared your experiences — the direct impact that federal disruptions have on students, counselors, and institutions. And we have encouraged our members and the public to contact their representatives to protect our national commitment to education. 

I know our sustained advocacy has made a difference. This summer, some of the most harmful provisions aimed at weakening federal support for education were kept out of H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. That progress was because you raised your voices. 

Yet today, I write to you with deep disappointment — and deep resolve — as a major step toward dismantling the Education Department has begun. 

Yesterday, the Trump administration announced six new agreements with four federal agencies to assume responsibility for many of the Education Department’s core programs. Through workarounds, the administration is shifting the functions of programs that Congress explicitly required to remain in the Department of Education. This move ignores federal statute and sidesteps the constitutional role of Congress. 

Here’s what we know so far: 

  • Six inter-agency agreements have been signed that transfer major Education Department programs to other agencies — the most sweeping reorganization in the department’s 45-year history. 
  • The Department of Labor will take over nearly all higher education programs, including TRIO, Title III and V programs, student success grants, HBCU and MSI support, and other institutional capacity-building programs. 
  • The Department of Labor will take over administering select elementary and secondary education programs funded under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. These programs currently are managed by the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) and include Title IV, Part A — Student Support and Academic Enrichment.  
  • The State Department will assume Fulbright-Hays and international and foreign language education programs, transferring critical global education work to outside of the Education Department. 
  • The Interior Department will take over Indian Education and tribal college programs. 
  • The Department of Health and Human Services will assume administration of the Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program. 
  • The Department of Health and Human Services will take over the National Committee on Foreign Medical Education and Accreditation (NCFMEA) that’s currently in the Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE). 
  • These agreements were quietly signed on Sept. 30, just before the government shutdown — and before the public or Congress could scrutinize them. 
  • Under these agreements, other federal agencies will now administer the programs they are inheriting — from processing grants to monitoring compliance with federal rules. The Education Department will transfer funding to the receiving agencies but will continue setting budgets, criteria, and priorities for the programs, while retaining certain HR and administrative functions. 
  • Many of the offices overseeing these programs were already gutted by recent layoffs. Staff still assigned to these programs will now transfer to the receiving agencies — yet the Education Department has already moved to defund several of these grants, labeling them redundant, irrelevant, or unconstitutional. It is unclear whether these programs will remain fully operational in their new locations. 
  • A department official stated that the fate of the Office for Civil Rights, Federal Student Aid, and the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services is still being determined, raising further concerns about what might come next. 
  • The administration argues these moves will “streamline bureaucracy,” but experts warn the opposite: scattering federal education programs across multiple agencies weakens oversight, duplicates costs, and makes it harder to ensure taxpayer dollars are used effectively to support students. 

More information about these moves is available in a U.S. Department of Education press release.  

Despite repeated reminders from Congress that neither the Secretary of Education nor the president can close a federal department without legislative approval, yesterday’s action represents the most aggressive step yet toward dismantling the agency from within. 

What this means for the field: 

This restructuring is not administrative housekeeping — it is a redefinition of the federal role in education. It jeopardizes the coordinated oversight necessary to protect civil rights, support underserved communities, maintain program integrity, and ensure federal funding actually reaches the students who need it most. 

And it creates profound uncertainty for institutions, counselors, and students who rely on clear, stable, and functioning federal systems. 

While this news is devastating, here’s what I can assure you: 

NACAC is more committed than ever to fighting for educational access and opportunity for all. To realize our vision — that postsecondary education be accessible to all who seek it — we need the federal government to strengthen, not weaken, its role in ensuring equity and opportunity.  

Every day, NACAC works to safeguard opportunity for students and support the professionals who guide them. We are in constant conversation with Congress, federal agencies, and coalition partners to advocate for policies that expand opportunity and protect equity. Your voice guides our work, and together, we ensure that students remain at the center of every policy conversation. 

Together, here’s what we can do next: 

  • Contact your representatives. Urge them to protect the statutory authority of the Education Department and push back against efforts to dismantle or defund it. 
  • Share your stories. Your experiences — especially how programs like TRIO, Title III/V, Pell, and civil rights enforcement support your students — are vital to countering misinformation about the federal role in education. 

This week’s news is tough. And yet, time and time again, this community has faced extraordinary challenges. Time and time again, we have shown resilience, purpose, and unity. 

I encourage you to take care of yourself right now. We need your voice in this fight for the long haul. The road ahead will not be easy, but together, we can make ourselves heard. Together, we will fight for educational access and opportunity for all. 

Sincerely, 

Angel B. Pérez, PhD
Chief Executive Officer
National Association for College Admission Counseling