Project 2025 on Education: Only the Rich Should Get It

Republicans have dreamed of dismantling the Department of Education since Jimmy Carter created it. Ronald Reagan, Newt Gingrich, Donald Trump, and former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, as well as other Republican leaders, have openly advocated for the policy.

Like most of the right-wing fever dreams outlined in Project 2025, the idea is couched in the cushy fabric of states’ rights when the desired outcome is an education oligarchy where opportunity is skewed toward the wealthy.

What happens without a Department of Education?

The Department of Education is key in promoting educational equality nationwide. It does this through funding, civil rights enforcement and maintaining educational standards. Project 2025 eliminates all of these priorities.

Slashing Education Funding

Project 2025 would end Head Start slash Title I funding. It would also severely limit access to student lunch programs and programs for students with disabilities.

Title I funding provides critical resources for poor and underserved students. A school is eligible to receive Title I funds if at least 40 percent of its students are from low-income families The plan is unclear on how or whether this money would be replaced but suggests that states can decide how to fill the gap.

While Title I funds target poorer districts, they play a role in all states’ education funding. On average, about 10 percent of state funds for education come from Title I resources. Some states might be able to fill the gaps, but others will not. This will affect poorer states but also conservative, rural areas most harshly, as public schools are often the only option for students in these areas. For example, Louisiana, Mississippi and West Virginia all receive over twice the amount of Title I funds than Washington state.

The NEA estimates this would cost approximately 180,300 teaching jobs and could eliminate up to six percent of the education workforce.

Ending Head Start and Free Lunch Programs

The Head Start program promotes school readiness for preschool children and their families. Since its inception, the program has helped more than 38 million children from low-income families. Over 800,000 children a year receive early learning, health, nutrition, and family support services so they can succeed when they reach preschool.  

Research has repeatedly shown that every dollar invested in school nutrition programs is returned to the community served. (AFL-CIO)

Making Student Loans More Expensive

Project 2025 proposes making student loan payback more expensive by eliminating income-based payments and all student loan forgiveness programs and giving all student loans to private banks.

Independent analysis has shown these changes could cost the average borrower $2,700 to $4,000 more annually.

Rolling Back Civil Rights Protections

Project 2025 would reduce protections for LGBTQ+ students by rolling back Title IX protections against sex-based discrimination and eliminating the administrative protections of the Office for Civil Rights. It would also allow for increased censorship of content and discussion around LGBTQ+ issues.

This would make schools less safe for all children. Research has shown schools that adopt LGBTQI+-affirming policies and encourage inclusion see decreased rates of bullying for all children.

Implementing Project 2025 makes all students less safe.