The Trump administration appears poised to take significant actions that could undermine or even dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. And the impacts for student loan borrowers could be significant.
President Donald Trump is likely to issue an executive order later this month directing the Secretary of Education to dismantle the Department of Education, according to recent reporting. Abolishing a federal department can only be accomplished through an act of Congress, say most legal experts. Republican lawmakers have filed legislation to do just that, but it’s unlikely to become law given Democratic opposition in the Senate (Republicans don’t have a large enough majority in the Senate to overcome the filibuster).
But the Trump administration already appears to be taking steps to undermine the Department of Education from within. The administration recently put dozens of department staff on leave, purportedly due to their participation in a diversity training exercise during the first Trump administration. The administation may intensify its efforts to sideline department employees in the coming weeks.
And the anticipated executive order may direct the department to shrink, unwind, or delegate its operations to other federal agencies. It is unclear if the Office of Federal Student Aid, which oversees the federal student loan system, could be removed from the Department of Education without action from Congress. The Higher Education Act specifies that FSA is an office within the department.
Meanwhile, according to The Washington Post, nearly two dozen people affiliated with Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency,” or DOGE, have been “working inside the Education Department” and may have “gained access to multiple sensitive internal systems,” including a data set containing the personal information of millions of federal student loan borrowers. Some legal experts are alarmed by these actions, with some suggesting that DOGE’s access to sensitive data could violate federal law. There are also some concerns that some or all of the department’s vast website at StudentAid.gov could be removed or changed, as the Trump administration has taken down or changed certain websites associated with other federal agencies in recent weeks.
Even if the Department of Education does not officially shut down, any of these issues could impact federal student loan borrowers. Reduced staffing, funding cuts, or operational disruptions could lead to processing delays or errors for key federal student loan programs, including loan forgiveness and discharge programs. And a data breach could compromise a borrowers’ security. Here’s what student loan borrowers should be doing now.
Take Screenshots Of Your Student Loan Dashboard At The Department Of Education Website
Retaining key student loan records may be critical for borrowers, particularly if the Trump administration winds up taking down certain websites or stops displaying certain data.
One of the first things borrowers should do is take screenshots of their dashboard at StudentAid.gov. This dashboard contains critical information including a summary of a borrower’s current student loans and their status. In addition, as of just a few weeks ago, the dashboard contains a new IDR tracker for borrowers enrolled in an income-driven repayment plan, telling them how much time they have left before they qualify for student loan forgiveness, which is a feature of all current IDR programs.
To take a screenshot of the dashboard, log in to your account at StudentAid.gov. Take a screenshot of the entire dashboard (or take multiple screenshots of different portions of the dashboard). The IDR counter should be on the right-hand side of the screen; you can click the IDR counter to get more detailed information on qualifying payments made toward 20- or 25-year IDR student loan forgiveness. Take a screenshot of that detail screen, as well.
Download The Federal Student Loan Data File From Your Department Of Education Account
While you’re logged into your StudentAid.gov account, it may also be a good idea to download your raw data file. This data file contains a wealth of information on all of your federal student loans such as their status and repayment history, your IDR anniversary date, your current loan status, your school enrollment history, loan servicer details, interest rates, and much more. Losing access to this data could be catastrophic for borrowers.
To download your student loan data file, remain logged in at your StudentAid.gov account. From the dashboard, click the “View Details” button in the “My Aid” box. Then, Click the “Download My Aid Data” in the top right corner. Save this file for your records. Note that you can only access the data file using a desktop or laptop computer – you won’t be able to access it on a mobile device.
Take Screenshots Of Your Student Loan Forgiveness Tracker For PSLF
Borrowers pursuing student loan forgiveness through PSLF should take some additional steps to help protect their status. PSLF, which stands for Public Service Loan Forgiveness, is a popular program that allows borrowers to qualify for student loan forgiveness in as little as 10 years if they work in qualifying nonprofit or public employment while repaying their loans and meeting other program requirements.
Borrowers have long had the ability to track their PSLF progress. But last summer, PSLF tracking was moved from MOHELA, one of the Department of Education’s student loan servicers, to StudentAid.gov. Borrowers can now view their PSLF status there and track their loan forgiveness progress.
To view and retain your PSLF records, click the “Track Your PSLF Progress” link in the “Quick Links” box on your StudentAid.gov dashboard while logged into your account. Take a screenshot of your PSLF progress bar showing your qualifying payments. Then, navigate to each of the other features of the PSLF Tracker. Toward the top of the tracker you should see three tabs. One tab will take you to a month-by-month breakdown of qualifying PSLF payments that count toward student loan forgiveness; take screenshots of each of those pages so that you have a record of your qualifying PSLF payment history. Another tab will take you to your employment certification history; take screenshots of this, as well.
Certify Your PSLF Employment With The Department Of Education For Student Loan Forgiveness Credit
Borrowers on track for PSLF may also want to certify their employment if it’s been awhile since their last employment certification. Payments only get counted toward student loan forgiveness when the borrower completes and submits an employment certification form, verifying that they are working in qualifying PSLF employment.
Be sure to use the online PSLF Help Tool at StudentAid.gov to complete the employment certification process. While borrowers can print out the certification form and complete it manually, it will probably be approved much more quickly (with a lower chance of rejection) if you use the online tool, which allows for digital signatures by both the borrower and employer. You’ll need to coordinate with whoever is signing the form on behalf of your employer, and get their email address so that they can receive the invitation from the Department of Education to digitally sign off on the form.
Shore Up Your Student Loan Account Security In Your Department Of Education Account
While there’s no clear indication so far that borrowers’ federal student loan accounts are in any danger, the fact that potentially dozens of people outside of the Department of Education now have access to sensitive account information is raising some alarms. It’s not a bad idea to do a student loan account security checkup.
If you haven’t changed your password in awhile for your StudentAid.gov account, now may be a good time to do so. Use a strong password, one with many characters that’s not easy to guess. And make sure it’s a unique password, different from anything you use for your other accounts. You can try using a password manager if you have difficulty remembering all of your different passwords. For added security, be sure to set up two-factor authentication, which requires an additional code be sent to your phone or email address to be able to log in.
If you’re concerned that your personal identifying information may have been compromised, you can contact the three national credit reporting bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) to put a security freeze on your credit report. It’s free to do this, and should prevent other individuals from pulling your credit or taking out new loans in your name. However, you would need to unfreeze your credit to apply for a new loan or credit in the future.
Download Student Loan Records From Your Loan Servicer Account
To be extra thorough, it also may be a good idea to download and retain key records from your student loan servicer account. The Department of Education outsources student loan servicing to four primary companies: MOHELA, EdFinancial, Aidvantage, and Nelnet. Your online accounts with these loan servicers may have additional information not found in your StudentAid.gov account, such as detailed payment records, as well as notices, letters, and other correspondence. Download and retain these records to supplement the materials from StudentAid.gov.
Download Key Student Loan Program Pages From The Department of Education Website
Some borrowers are concerned that the Trump administration may shutter portions of the Department of Education’s website at StudentAid.gov, including publicly available pages. The department has worked on updating many elements of the website during the last several years, providing detailed guidance on many student loan forgiveness, repayment, and relief programs.
While there are no indications that the administration plans on shutting down the Department of Education’s website, it may not be a bad idea to download or take screenshots of key pages for student loan programs that you may be pursuing. This would include PSLF or IDR, particularly if the pages contain important information about eligibility rules or how these programs operate.