Oregon Nurses Respond to Federal Department of Education Cuts

• The Oregon Nurses Association has argued that recent U.S. Department of Education Cuts are a “direct assault” on the state’s healthcare system. 
• The Department of Education began its “reduction in force” on March 11, taking the staff from more than 4,000 to roughly 2,100. 
• The DOE has stated cuts won’t affect federal loan programs, but there are outside suggestions that, at a minimum, it will cause processing delays. 

Staffing cuts in the U.S. Department of Education are putting lives at risk. 

That’s according to the Oregon Nurses Association, which issued a statement last week opposing the White House’s workforce reduction plans. 

“This is a direct assault on Oregon’s healthcare system and on every healthcare worker striving to protect our communities,” ONA stated. “Slashing the Department of Education isn’t cutting red tape — it’s cutting the lifeline for Oregon’s patients and healthcare workforce. Oregon health professionals are standing up and saying: enough is enough.” 

Education Cuts Across Federal Workforce 

The Department of Education began its “reduction in force” on March 11, taking the staff from 4,133 to “roughly 2,183,” including voluntary resignations and retirements. 

NPR reported that the Office of Federal Student Financial Aid lost more than 300 union employees “on top of other big staffing losses.” 

Despite the cuts, the department stated it will “continue to deliver on all statutory programs that fall under the agency’s purview, including formula funding, student loans, Pell Grants, funding for special needs students, and competitive grantmaking.” 

But because many of the now-former DOE staff “likely worked” in areas related to student loans, there could be processing delays and longer response times for student inquires, according to Forbes contributor Scott White. 

“Delays in processing financial aid applications could cause students to face difficulties in meeting tuition deadlines, leading to a delay in enrollment, class registration, or even students losing their places at schools,” White wrote. 

Oregon’s Argument Against Education Cuts 

ONA called the White House’s directive to decrease the DOE workforce a “direct attack” on the state’s health system and workforce, arguing that it will “undermine” education and training. 

“This is not just an attack on education — it is an attack on the health and well-being of every Oregonian,” ONA stated. 

The Oregon Longitudinal Data Collaborative found that of the state’s 21 programs, only four accepted “more than 50% of qualified applicants.” 

“There is a surplus of qualified applications for Oregon’s registered nursing programs, while simultaneously not one region in Oregon is providing enough registered nursing graduates necessary to meet regional nursing job demand,” the collaborative stated in its 2023 study. 

In noting DOE’s role in distributing grant funding to higher education institutions, ONA stated that the staffing cuts and threats of dismantling the department will “delay processing” of financial aid, loans, and other monetary support for nursing and medical students. 

“Federal cuts will choke off critical support for all healthcare education programs, stalling efforts to expand capacity and worsening Oregon’s dangerous healthcare workforce shortage,” ONA stated. 

The Bottom Line

As part of its efforts to reduce the federal workforce, the new White House administration and the Department of Government Efficiency have slashed the Department of Education’s workforce nearly in half. At least one state nursing association has publicly opposed the cuts, arguing the staff reduction will affect the number of nurses working in the state and the ability to receive the financial aid for nursing education moving forward. 

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