Trump Issues Array Of Executive Orders For K-12 Schools And Colleges

President Donald Trump issued an array of executive orders promising a more conservative approach to K-12 instruction and university funding — including some moves that are almost certain to invite fresh political resistance to his agenda.

The executive orders he signed Wednesday that are most likely to rattle college leaders include new threats to cut off federal funds from schools that do not disclose the money they receive from foreign entities. He also kicked off an attempt to purge diversity practices from universities by leaning on the independent entities that certify whether they can accept federal money.

Trump further demanded new federal guidance on school discipline that rejects the stances of his Democratic predecessors. He also signed directives that carve out new training for American students on artificial intelligence, update federal workforce programs and launch a new White House initiative on historically Black colleges and universities.

Taken together, the suite of Trump’s orders represent significant maneuvers to squeeze the finances of many higher education institutions and expand his already sweeping federal intervention into the country’s education industry.

“Today’s Executive Orders pave the way for critical innovations — inviting more competition in the higher education accreditation system, ensuring transparency in college finances, supporting new technologies in the classroom, and more,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a social media post.

Federal law already requires colleges and universities to disclose gifts or contracts worth $250,000 or more from foreign entities, though the enforcement of those requirements and related regulations have prompted scrutiny and criticism of the Biden administration from conservative lawmakers.

This time, Trump’s order on foreign funds says certain federal grants for universities could be revoked if schools do not comply with the administration’s latest disclosure requirements. That pronouncement holds considerable weight in the weeks since the administration has frozen billions of dollars in federal grants to Columbia University, Harvard University and other schools over their handling of pro-Palestinian protests.

The order further directs McMahon to reverse or rescind any actions by the prior administration “that permit higher education institutions to maintain improper secrecy regarding their foreign funding.”

The order would also have McMahon require universities to disclose the source and purpose of foreign funds — while working with Attorney General Pam Bondi and other agencies to pressure institutions that do not comply with audits, investigations and other enforcement actions.

Trump’s move to reshape the college accreditation system — to address what the administration considers ideological overreach — is another front education leaders will be watching closely.

Trump authorized McMahon and Bondi to suspend, monitor or terminate the recognition of accreditors that use diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. The order targets the American Bar Association's law school accreditation program, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.

“Federal recognition will not be provided to accreditors engaging in unlawful discrimination in violation of Federal law,” the order said.

Accreditors are independent, nongovernmental organizations that evaluate universities and higher education programs to ensure they meet a certain level of quality before receiving federal financial aid funding. During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump described them as the “secret weapon” to weed liberal influence out of higher education.

The accreditation order, the contours of which were reported by POLITICO earlier this month, calls for making it easier for new accreditors to enter the market, and requires institutions to collect student outcome data to “improve such outcomes, without reference to race, ethnicity, or sex.” It also calls for prioritizing “intellectual diversity” among faculty.

The order echoes Trump’s direction in January for federal agencies to “end indoctrination” in K-12 education, launch investigations into campus protests and enact a federal school choice initiative. Last month, he signed a long-expected directive to begin shutting down the Education Department.

Although accreditors do not agree with characterization, they said they are willing to work with the administration.

“While we firmly reject President Trump’s mischaracterization of accreditors’ role in the nation’s postsecondary education system, we stand ready to work with the Secretary of Education on policies that will advance our shared mission of enhancing quality, innovation, integrity, and accountability,” said Heather Perfetti, President of Middle States Commission on Higher Education and Chair of the Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions.

Trump’s order on school discipline also stands to reshape how schools address policies that once sparked an Obama-era effort to crack down on suspensions, expulsions and other practices that had a disproportionate impact on students of color.

The president ordered a report that includes an analysis of school discipline and called for his administration to propose model school discipline policies that are “rooted in American values and traditional virtues” while criticizing warnings from Biden administration civil rights authorities that schools needed to address the “continuing urgency” of racial disparities in discipline.

“Today’s executive orders make clear that despite their mantra of local control, the Trump Administration really does want to be in the business of education after all,” American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said in a statement. “They just want to pick and choose who they help and who they hurt, rather than build on six decades of bipartisan efforts to improve public education."