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Student loan impacts if the Education Department shuttered

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President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump takes office for his second term as the 47th president of the United States. 

Anna Moneymaker | Getty Images News | Getty Images

SBA, Commerce or Treasury could take student loans

Trump said this month that his administration was looking to task the Treasury Department, Commerce Department or the Small Business Administration with federal student loan management.

Experts say the most logical agency would be Treasury Department, since it already plays a role in collecting past-due debts from Americans through the Treasury Offset Program.

Meanwhile, “Neither Commerce nor SBA has any relevant experience,” higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz told CNBC this month.

Student loan forgiveness could be at risk

The change could not come at a worse time for federal student loan borrowers, consumer advocates say. Court rulings have nixed Biden administration attempts at widespread forgiveness and repayment plans with lower payments, leaving many borrowers confused and saddled with higher costs.

Without the Education Department operating at full capacity, borrowers may now find their applications for existing loan forgiveness programs stalled, Kantrowitz said. Federal student loan borrowers can be eligible for debt cancellation under income-driven repayment plans or if they become disabled, among other reasons.

Student loan servicers handle the paperwork for the relief, but it’s the Education Dept. that “has final approval of all student loan forgiveness,” Kantrowitz said.

“This may be disrupted by the transition of the student loans to a new federal agency,” he added.

One important thing to keep in mind: The terms and conditions of your federal student loans cannot change even if the agency overseeing them does, experts say. Borrowers’ rights were guaranteed when they signed the master promissory note when their loans were originated.

What worries do you have about your federal student loans with the Education Dept. at risk? If you’re willing to share your experience for an upcoming story, please email [email protected].

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Personal Finance

Student loans will be handled by Small Business Administration: Trump

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U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (not pictured) in the Oval Office at the White House, in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 21, 2025. 

Carlos Barria | Reuters

President Donald Trump said Friday that the Small Business Administration, instead of the U.S. Department of Education, would handle the country’s federal student loan portfolio.

“We have a portfolio that is very large, lots of loans, tens of thousands of loans, pretty complicated deal,” Trump said, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office. “That’s coming out of the Department of Education immediately.”

“They’re all set for it,” the president said of the SBA. “They’re waiting for it.”

Outstanding federal education debt exceeds $1.6 trillion, with more than 40 million Americans holding student loans.

Trump’s announcement comes a day after he signed an executive order aimed at dismantling the Education Department. Only Congress can unilaterally eliminate the agency.

Consumer advocates are worried that the mass transfer of accounts could trigger errors, or compromise borrowers’ privacy. They also raised concerns about how a change in agency might affect protections and programs such as Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.

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Deadline for first-year required minimum distributions is April 1

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David Madison | Stone | Getty Images

You could face a 25% penalty

Generally, you calculate RMDs for each account by dividing the prior Dec. 31 balance by a “life expectancy factor,” according to the IRS. Some companies calculate RMDs for you, but you’re ultimately responsible for withdrawing the correct amount.  

There’s a 25% penalty for skipping the RMD or not withdrawing enough, said certified financial planner Scott Bishop, partner and managing director of Presidio Wealth Partners, based in Houston.

But the IRS could reduce the fee to 10% if you correct the mistake, withdraw the proper amount within two years and file Form 5329

“If you miss [the RMD], own up to it,” Bishop said. “Make sure you’re timely with it.”  

In some cases, the IRS could waive the penalty entirely if you show the shortfall happened due to “reasonable error” and you’re taking “reasonable steps” to fix it, according to the agency.

Why you should take your first RMD sooner

While retirees have until April 1 the year after turning 73 for their first RMD, many advisors suggest withdrawing the funds by Dec. 31 of the previous year. 

“I almost always say take it the first year,” said George Gagliardi, a CFP and founder of Coromandel Wealth Management in Lexington, Massachusetts.

If you wait until April 1 for your first RMD, you still have to take the second one by Dec. 31 of the same year. Pre-tax withdrawals incur regular income taxes, so you’re “doubling up” for that year, Gagliardi said.

Tax Tip: IRA Deadline

Boosting your adjusted gross income can trigger various tax consequences, including higher Medicare Part B and D premiums.

However, there are some scenarios where it makes sense to delay your first RMD until April 1, Gagliardi said.

For example, the year you turn age 73 could be higher-income due to capital gains or another event that wouldn’t repeat, he said. 

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Trump signs executive order aimed at dismantling Education Department

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The U.S. Department of Education is seen on March 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. U.S. President Donald Trump is preparing to sign an executive order to abolish the Department of Education. 

Win Mcnamee | Getty Images News | Getty Images

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday aimed at dismantling the U.S. Department of Education.

The Education Department oversees the country’s $1.6 trillion federal student loan portfolio, provides funding to low-income students and enforces civil rights across the country.

Only Congress can unilaterally eliminate the Education Department. But the Trump administration can starve the agency of resources.

Earlier this month, the department laid off nearly half of its staffers. The actions leave the department with 2,183 employees, down from 4,133 when Trump took office in January.

Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, told reporters on Thursday that she expected some key functions of the Education Department, including federal student loans, to continue to be run out of the minimized agency.

It was hard to overestimate the harm the order would inflict, consumer advocates said.

“Today’s decision does not serve the interests of students or families,” said Mitria Spotser, vice president and federal policy director at the Center for Responsible Lending, in a statement.

“It weakens public education, abandons civil rights enforcement and prioritizes corporate interests over the fundamental right to a quality education,” Spotser said.

Former President Jimmy Carter established the current day U.S. Department of Education in 1979. Since then, the department has faced other existential threats, with former President Ronald Reagan calling for its end and Trump, during his first term, attempting to merge it with the Labor Department.

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