Message from the IECA President on Staffing Reductions at the Dept. of Education

As President of IECA, I am writing regarding the latest developments within the US Department of Education, a federal agency that has served students and families in important ways for the past four decades.

Last week, I joined 16 fellow IECA members and CEO Leigh Allen II on Capitol Hill for our 2025 Advocacy Day. We met with numerous House and Senate legislative offices, engaging in productive discussions on educational access and student support. While we were pleased to find encouraging bipartisan agreement on key issues, it’s hard to envision how the significant reduction in force at the Department of Education—announced as our Advocacy Day concluded on March 11—will not significantly undermine our members’ ability to guide students toward their educational goals.

For independent educational consultants (IECs), the Department of Education provides essential infrastructure and services including, but not limited to:

• Supporting the financial aid systems students and families rely on (e.g., the Federal Student Loan Program, PLUS Loans, Pell Grants, and Federal Work Study);
• Maintaining protections for individuals with learning differences and disabilities;
• Providing needed data and accountability that serves to inform student choice; and
• Ensuring/enhancing consistency in educational standards and civil rights protections, which allow professionals like us to confidently advise families considering schools and colleges across the country.

As IECs, we’ve seen firsthand how these programs transform lives. Every day, we help students navigate pathways to education that benefit from federal support. Our therapeutic professionals rely on federal protections for students with disabilities, and our college consultants depend on standardized financial aid processes. Our ongoing capacity to effectively serve our clients without the continuance of this federal infrastructure will, invariably, be greatly diminished. The elimination of the Department will undoubtedly create uncertainty and instability for our profession and the students and families who rely on us to guide their educational journeys–especially in a time already marked by widespread uncertainty.

We encourage our members and non-member IEC colleagues to contact their elected representatives through their official websites (find yours at House.gov and Senate.gov) and/or use the “5 Calls” app and share specific examples of how existing Department of Education programs and services assist them in facilitating their IEC businesses.

Our effectiveness as IECs relies on maintaining strong federal support for higher education. Let’s collectively ensure our voices are heard on behalf of our profession and the families we serve.

Belinda J. Wilkerson, EdD
IECA President