Current and former staffers, financial aid officers and previous education secretaries are doubtful the office that helps students pay for college won't be disrupted by mass layoffs and resignations.
Student loans and Pell Grants are safe but Secretary of Education Linda McMahon says she has started the process of shutting down the Department of Education.
There are significant financial, operational and reputational risks associated with presidential turnover. If managed well, however, the transition can be productive and positive for the institution.
Over the past year, Albright College in Berks County has cut 53 positions, canceled some academic majors and considered selling property and art as part of an effort to close a $20 million deficit.
"We are doubling down on those creative careers that are primed for growth and align with the current and emerging expectations of students, families and the industry," Interim Columbia College President Jerry Tarrer wrote in a statement.
Two private Seattle colleges are joining forces. Seattle University, the largest private university in Western Washington, and the smaller Cornish College of the Arts plan to combine into one school, eventually creating Cornish College of the Arts at Seattle University.
