"For student loan borrowers, specifically, this will mean more delays and poorer service in a program that already has service issues," Drew Powers, the founder of Illinois-based Powers Financial Group, told Newsweek. "The end result is nothing but harm to our current students."

A Times reporter reflects on the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle the Department of Education. Times Insider explains who we are and what we do and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes together.

The decision has received relatively little attention compared with other blockbusters from this term—but it stands to have a significant impact.