AACN Statement on the Executive Order to Close the Department of Education

On March 20, the President signed an Executive Order titled Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities. This order states that the Secretary of Education “shall, to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law, take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities while ensuring the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.”

As the voice of academic nursing, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is deeply concerned by this Executive Order, especially given how critical higher education is to preparing nursing students to provide high-quality, patient-centered care for all citizens.

On Friday, March 21, the President announced that the Department’s student loan portfolio would be managed by the Small Business Administration. However, the Executive Order does not specify how the other duties and responsibilities of the Department will be reallocated across the state and federal landscape. In the absence of a clear path forward, we fear this action may lead to extended disruptions for institutions of higher education, faculty, researchers, and students.

Potential impacts on AACN member schools could include:

• Disruptions to student loan programs overseen by the Department such as Pell Grants, Income-Driven Repayment Plans, subsidized student loans, and Federal Graduate and Parent Plus Loans.

• Limits to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) programs. This announcement follows the March 7 Executive Order, Restoring Public Service Loan Forgiveness, which seeks to limit eligibility requirements for the PSLF program. As of January, 2025, more than one million borrowers have been approved for the PSLF.

  • Of note, findings from a 2017 AACN survey indicated that 69% of nursing students enrolled in a graduate degree program obtained federal student loans; 57% of survey respondents planned on using PSLF programs.

• Disruptions to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA), a tool used to distribute more than $120 billion annually in student aid, grants, work-study funds, and loans.

• Challenges to accessing critical data collected by the Department, including Student Financial Assistance Program Data and Campus Security and Safety Data, among others.

• Increased uncertainty given the lack of clarity around how layoffs and reductions in force at the Department will impact operations in the near term.

AACN notes that only Congress has the authority to eliminate the Department of Education. Multiple members of Congress have weighed in on this issue, both signaling intent to protect the Department or conversely to file legislation to accomplish the President's goal. AACN will be actively engaged in these efforts and will work to ensure that education pathways for nursing are preserved.

AACN strongly believes that sustaining academic nursing is critical to keeping the nation healthy and thriving. Our nursing schools promote innovation, benefit local economies, and contribute to a strong healthcare workforce. AACN will continue to monitor this evolving development as further details are communicated by the Administration.