Trump's budget calls for a 15% funding cut to the Education Department

President Donald Trump speaks at a podium with his palms facing out. He stands in front of many individuals in hard hats.
President Donald Trump speaks at the U.S. Steel Mon Valley Works-Irvin plant, Friday, May 30, 2025, in West Mifflin, Pa. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

The Trump administration has released new details of its vision to wind down the U.S. Department of Education. The budget proposal for fiscal year 2026 calls for a 15% funding cut to the department and a handful of changes to key K-12 and higher education programs. Here are five things to know:

1. The document renews President Trump’s commitment to close the department

Last month, a federal judge blocked Trump from carrying out his executive order calling for the education secretary to close the Education Department. Nonetheless, the proposed budget summary begins with a quote from Trump on the day he signed that executive action: “We’re going to be returning education very simply back to the states where it belongs.”

Overall, the proposal “reflects an agency that is responsibly winding down,” the document says.