This is an article from the June 2025 Civitas Examiner (Volume 2, No. 3) and was written by one of our students, Diego P. The opinions expressed herein do not reflect those of Civitas other than respect for the value of open dialogue. To read more Civitas Examiner stories or to submit your own, click here.
When Allen Maladono arrived at Washington University this summer to get a head start on college through the First-Year Summer Academic Program, he expected to feel energized by the possibilities ahead. Instead, as he settled into campus, a different feeling began to sink in—dread.
“I always thought I’d go on and get a master’s. Maybe even a Ph.D.,” Maladono said. “Now, I’m not sure any of that makes sense anymore.”
The 18-year-old from Arizona is one of many young Americans rethinking their educational futures as sweeping cuts to the Department of Education under the Trump administration begin to take effect. In March, the White House issued an executive order to begin dismantling the department. The move gutted civil rights enforcement, weakened oversight of discrimination and student privacy, and slashed federal support for K-12 and higher education programs—leaving many wondering what, if anything, will remain.
“It’s not just about me,” Maladono said. “I’m scared my little siblings won’t even care about school when they grow up, because why would they? If the government’s giving up on education, what are we working toward?”
For decades, the Department of Education has acted as the backbone of equitable learning in America. It enforced laws ensuring students with disabilities received support under IDEA, protected LGBTQ students and students of color from discrimination, and funded programs like Title I for low-income districts. The loss of these protections threatens to widen disparities across race, income, and geography.
Now, students are also watching higher education erode in real time.
As federal grants for academic research are paused or eliminated, many scholars are packing their bags for Europe. A growing number of students who once aspired to attend graduate school in the U.S. are reconsidering—and not just out of financial concern.
“We’re watching a brain drain happen in real time,” said Dr. Olivia Lane, a quantum computing expert at IBM. “Reddit is flooded with kids asking how to apply to PhD programs in Germany or the Netherlands.”
According to The Scientist, researchers like Dr. Kimberly Cooper at UC San Diego have seen federal grants halted mid-cycle, leaving labs scrambling to operate. This comes as the European Union expands its support for scientists, hoping to attract the next generation of global research talent. The loss of U.S. funding—and the rising hostility toward international students—has begun to push even American citizens to look elsewhere.
“Why would I go hundreds of thousands into debt here,” Maladono asked, “when Europe’s offering fully-funded programs that actually want people like me?”
This exodus isn’t just about opportunity—it’s about stability. Without reliable funding and protection, the value of higher education is beginning to erode. For students from marginalized backgrounds, like Maladono, who is first-generation and low-income, the changes cut even deeper.
“Education was supposed to be the one way out. Now it feels like that door’s closing,” he said.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has sounded the alarm, urging Congress to intervene. They warn that dismantling the Department of Education erodes protections that took decades to build—protections rooted in decisions like Brown v. Board of Education, which recognized public education as the foundation of citizenship.
Maladono, who grew up believing in that promise, now feels caught between generations.
“I feel like I made it just in time to watch it fall apart,” he said. “And I don’t know what I’m supposed to tell the people coming after me.”
Still, he’s not ready to give up entirely. He’s continuing with his FSAP courses, still dreaming of what’s possible. But the uncertainty lingers.
“I want to lead the way for my family,” Maladono said. “But I don’t know how to lead them through something that’s disappearing in front of me.”
