Navigating Shifting Sands: The Supreme Court, Federal Education, and Rural Community Colleges

The landscape of federal education policy has been fundamentally altered by a recent Supreme Court decision that has granted the Trump administration the authority to proceed with a significant reduction of the U.S. Department of Education’s workforce. While not a final ruling on the department’s ultimate fate, this emergency order is a pivotal development that warrants the close attention of the Rural Community College Alliance and its members.

On Monday, July 14th, the Court’s 6-3 decision allowed the administration to move forward with the layoffs of nearly 1,400 employees, lifting a lower court's temporary injunction. This action is the most significant step yet in the administration’s stated goal of dismantling the department and shifting its core responsibilities back to individual states.

The administration argues that this move will reduce bureaucracy and promote local control, allowing states to tailor educational policies more effectively to the specific needs of their communities. However, the decision has drawn sharp criticism from opponents who argue that it will cripple the department’s ability to perform its statutory duties, which include critical functions for our students, such as:

• Financial Aid Distribution: Administering federal student loans and grants, which are vital for rural students who often have limited access to other forms of financial assistance.

• Civil Rights Enforcement: Ensuring compliance with civil rights laws in schools and colleges, a key function for protecting the rights of all students, including those from historically underrepresented communities.

• Special Education Services: Overseeing and supporting programs for students with disabilities, a responsibility that is often more challenging in sparsely populated areas with limited resources.

While the administration has acknowledged that only an act of Congress can formally close the Department of Education, this ruling enables it to effectively hollow out the agency. The ongoing legal battle will continue, but the immediate impact is a reduced federal presence and a significant period of uncertainty. Our partners at ACCT are an excellent source of information and guidance. Be sure to stay connected to them as we navigate these shifting sands. ACCT Now is an excellent source of information.

For rural community colleges, this development underscores the importance of our advocacy efforts and the need to remain vigilant. As the federal role in education changes, we must be prepared to articulate the unique needs of our institutions and students to state and local leaders. Our mission to champion rural colleges has never been more critical.

What does this mean for our members?

• Increased State-Level Engagement: Rural community colleges will need to strengthen their advocacy and engagement at the state level more than ever. Relationships with state legislators, education departments, and local workforce boards will become paramount in securing resources and shaping policies that directly benefit rural students and communities.

• Adapting Funding Models: While federal student aid programs like Pell Grants are statutory and would require Congressional action to change, the administration's broader actions could impact various grant programs and the department's capacity to manage and distribute funds. Colleges should be proactive in exploring diverse funding avenues and solidifying partnerships with local industries and philanthropic organizations.

• Focus on Local Needs: The emphasis on returning control to the states reinforces the need for rural community colleges to be agile and responsive to the specific workforce and educational demands of their immediate communities. This localized focus, a hallmark of rural community colleges, will be even more critical in demonstrating value and securing support.

• Advocacy for Rural Students: The RCCA's mission to champion rural colleges, students, and communities becomes even more vital in this evolving environment. We must continue to articulate the unique needs and contributions of rural institutions to ensure that state-level policy decisions and resource allocations adequately support our sector.

We’re excited to partner with Uwill to expand mental health and telehealth services for our rural member institutions.

Uwill is the leading mental health and wellness solution supporting more than 3 million students at 400+ institutions. Utilizing its proprietary technology and counselor team, Uwill pioneered the first student and therapist matching platform. The solution offers an immediate appointment with a licensed counselor based on student preferences,

all modalities of teletherapy, a direct crisis connection 24/7/365, psychiatric care, on-demand medical support, wellness programming, real-time data, and support.

To learn more, visit uwill.com.

Impacts and Consequences of One Big Beautiful Bill Act Pell Changes

The House’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” proposes limiting Pell Grants

to students taking at least 9 credits, putting nearly 400,000 part-time community college students at risk of losing aid. While expanding Pell to short-term programs, the bill may unintentionally harm those pursuing traditional degrees.

Read more from ACCT here.

From our friends at ACCT

Supreme Court Sides with the Trump Administration on Department of Education Terminations

Today, the Trump administration obtained a victory when the Supreme Court ruled to allow the Department of Education to continue with terminating department employees. This is a reversal from a lower court's ruling, which placed a preliminary injunction that blocked the department from firing employees; ordered the reinstatement of already terminated staff; and halted efforts to transfer department functions to other agencies. 

The decision of the Court lifts the injunction, meaning that mass terminations can resume while litigation is still ongoing. Therefore, the overall case has not yet reached its conclusion. In a press release, the Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, confirmed that the department will indeed "carry out the reduction in force to promote efficiency and accountability."

Latest Action

in Washington

The Supreme Court cleared the way for DOE staff cuts, funding debates for FY 2026 are heating up, and federal grant rules are evolving. In response, ACCT is launching a new members-only advocacy training series to help community college leaders amplify their stories and navigate this shifting landscape. Plus, key grant deadlines are fast approaching. Learn more

ACCT Announces its New Advocacy Series



The next six months will be a pivotal time for community colleges. The directives from the newly signed reconciliation package are now law; the debate in Congress about Fiscal Year 2026 funding is looking to be intense; and the landscape around federally funded grants to institutions is rapidly changing. These and other factors have created an environment characterized by uncertainty.  

To help our members, ACCT will be producing a hands-on advocacy series that will support community college leaders in sharing the positive impacts of their campuses, building relationships at the federal level, and considering the role of federal funding in your college’s budget. 

This free virtual advocacy training series will support community college leaders in telling their story: the value of community colleges to their regions and the importance of federal programs in supporting their work.

Please join us for one, two, or all sessions in this important training series. 

This series is for ACCT members only. Sessions will be interactive and will not be recorded.

• July 24th, 1:30 PM - 3 PM ET: Storytelling for Advocacy Meetings
• Aug 6th, 2:30 PM- 4 PM ET: Op-Ed How To on Community College Value 
• Aug 13th, 2:30 PM - 4 PM ET: Navigating the Federal Grant Landscape

Other Important Dates from ACCT:

• Aug 1, 01:00 PM ET: LAW Live Webinar
• Aug 13th: Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions Program, Part A Grant Deadline
• Aug 13th: Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions Program Grant Deadline
• Aug 13th: Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions Grant Deadline
• Aug 13th: Transition Programs for Students With Intellectual Disabilities Into Higher Education Grant Deadline
• Sep 5, 01:00 PM ET: LAW Live Webinar
• October 22 - 25: ACCT Leadership Congress