Dismantling Education Department threatens needed Pell grants, financial aid | Opinion

Education is the great equalizer.

And for decades, the U.S. Department of Education has provided critical, equalizing programs like Pell Grants and subsidized loans to students with financial need who wish to attend college, significantly increasing social mobility in regions like Fresno and the greater Central Valley.

Pell Grants alone have helped thousands of local students annually access higher education, opening doors previously closed due to financial constraints. For most college students, awareness of Pell Grants begins with filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA). This essential form not only determines eligibility for federal loans and work study programs, but also reveals grant opportunities like the Pell Grant to students who might not otherwise know they qualify.

This is a personal topic for both of us, as we both come from modest means and would not have been able to attend college without federal educational assistance. Tyler, now a member of the Fresno City Council, and Rob, an attorney and trustee representing Fresno City College, come from humble backgrounds: the former dealt with poverty and family homelessness growing up; and the latter, for a time, lived with his mother and sister after his parents divorced, walking to school and other essential places because they could not afford a car.

Neither of us would have been able to attend college, and would certainly not be members of the Fresno City Council or the SCCCD Board of Trustees today, without the benefit of Pell Grants and subsidized student loans. College would have remained unobtainable if it were not for the federal government’s investment in us at a young age.

We are not alone. Locally, 63% of undergraduates at Fresno State are eligible for Pell Grants, and nearly 12,000 Fresno City College students have received Pell support since July 2024. Grant eligibility is primarily determined by financial need as assessed through the FAFSA, aiming to make higher education more affordable and accessible for low- and middle-income students who might otherwise struggle to cover tuition and related expenses.

These grants are not merely short-term assistance, they are long-term investments that produce significant returns. Pell Grants significantly boost the economic activity of entire regions. One city-level study found that for every $1 of Pell Grant spending, $2.40 was generated in local economic activity, meaning more than double a return on investment.

More critically, these educational investments dramatically boost lifelong earnings, with college graduates increasing their earning potential by an average of $40,000 annually. In Fresno County, where only 24% of adults hold bachelor’s degrees, federal educational funding remains vital to reversing historic patterns of poverty and limited economic mobility.

Yet, the Trump administration’s proposal to dismantle the Department of Education and transfer its functions to agencies like the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is cause for alarm.

Both agencies already face substantial workforce and funding cuts, casting serious doubts about their ability to manage these crucial educational programs effectively. The SBA, tasked primarily with supporting small businesses, is ill-equipped to oversee the complex federal student loan portfolio of $1.6 trillion.

Similarly, HHS, currently under immense pressure managing public health programs, may struggle to sustain essential special education and nutritional initiatives that directly impact low-income families in our schools.

For Fresno and the Central Valley, this structural upheaval could result in disrupted funding, reduced educational opportunities, and diminished economic prospects. Without stable, reliable management, programs that foster upward mobility and financial stability for thousands of local families could falter.

Investing in education is not simply compassionate, it is economically prudent. Dismantling or weakening the Department of Education threatens to deepen existing inequalities and stagnate our regional economy. The Central Valley cannot afford the economic and social costs that such mismanagement could bring.

Our students deserve consistent support and reliable stewardship of their futures, both for their sake and the sake of our entire region.

This story was originally published April 2, 2025 at 4:00 PM.