Thirty-one states have opted in to the federal Education Freedom Scholarship Program, while 19 states and Washington, D.C. have not done so, ahead of the January 2027 deadline. The Trump administration launched the school choice initiative in 2025 through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. This created a federal income tax credit of up to $1,700 annually for individuals who donate to certified Scholarship Granting Organizations.
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights launched investigations Tuesday into five medical schools nationwide to determine whether their admissions practices violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color or national origin.
Eighty-six House Democrats are urging the U.S. Department of Education to stop plans to transfer two key offices to other federal agencies, arguing the move exceeds the administration’s legal authority and could weaken federal protections for students. In a letter to the department, the lawmakers said the Trump administration’s proposal to move the Office for Civil Rights to the Department of Justice and the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services to the Department of Health and Human Services violates congressional authority.