The Trump administration has signaled it wants to dismantle the Department of Education, returning much of the agency’s power to the states. The idea – expected to be done through Executive Order but facing an uphill battle in Congress – has left many student loan borrowers wondering about how the change could impact their payments and they owe.

Trump adviser Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has cut dozens of contracts it dismissed as “woke” and wasteful. It gutted the Institute of Education Sciences, which gathers data on the nation’s academic progress, and the administration has fired or suspended scores of employees.