Trump and his billionaire adviser Elon Musk have attempted to dismantle government programs and institutions such as the U.S. Agency for International Development without congressional approval, but abolishing the Department of Education would be his first shutdown of a cabinet-level agency.
The department oversees some 100,000 public and 34,000 private schools in the United States, although more than 85% of public school funding comes from state and local governments.
Instead, it provides federal grants for needy schools and programs, including money to pay teachers of children with special needs, fund arts programs and replace outdated infrastructure.
It also oversees the $1.6 trillion in student loans held by tens of millions of Americans who cannot afford to pay for university outright.