President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order preventing federal funding from going to schools and universities that enforce COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The order directs the Secretaries of Health and Human Services and Education to create policies ensuring compliance and eliminating vaccine requirements in educational institutions.
As of early 2024, no state requires K-12 students to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and only a small percentage of universities still have mandates in place. By December 2024, fewer than 2% of higher education institutions maintained any form of COVID-19 vaccine requirement. Despite the decline in mandates, Trump’s order aims to prevent any future attempts to reinstate them.
The order, as reported by Brietbart and later confirmed by the White House, would prevent “federal funds from being used to support or subsidize an educational service agency, state education agency, local education agency, elementary school, secondary school, or institution of higher education that requires students to have received a COVID-19 vaccination to attend in-person education programs.”
The order is part of a broader push to reduce federal spending and government overreach in education, as well as remove out-dated covid-era policies which discriminated against bodily autonomy. This executive order aligns with previous orders signed by Trump which have reinstated service members who chose to not take the vaccine as well as remove critical race theory from public schools.
Trump has also proposed major cuts to the Department of Education, seeking to limit federal influence in schools. Supporters argue that the move protects students from unnecessary mandates, while critics claim it could financially harm institutions reliant on federal aid.
The financial impact remains uncertain, as universities and K-12 schools receive significant federal funding. However, Trump’s order sends a clear message that his administration opposes vaccine mandates and seeks to protect personal medical choices. The move aligns with conservative values of medical freedom and reduced federal control over education.
