"On Tuesday, the Trump administration fired nearly half of the Education Department’s roughly 4,100 employees, leaving the agency with a skeletal staff of about 2,183. Now, a day later, the scope and impact of those layoffs are beginning to take shape.

Across the board, former department officials, policy analysts, equity advocates and legal experts worry that the reduction in force will be a blow to crucial services for students and institutions. The Education Department oversees colleges and sends them billions of dollars each year in student loans, Pell Grants and other federal support.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the cuts were necessary to ensure efficiency and return power to the states, and conservative policy experts say the reductions could be beneficial in the long run," reports Inside Higher Ed.

Photo: President Trump has said he wants to abolish the Education Department, and experts said this week’s cuts could help him achieve that goal. Photo illustration by Justin Morrison/Inside Higher Ed | Tierney L. Cross/Getty Images |Matveev_Aleksandr/iStock/Getty Images