If the department does fully shut down, student loans are not going away. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said that the agency will continue to deliver funding mandated by law, which includes federal student loans. Trump said they would most likely be overseen by a different federal agency.

While federal leaders had promised there will be little to no changes to how student loans and grants are handled, some changes are still possible.

Another government agency could potentially handle student loans, but experts warn it could be a bumpy transition.

But during a March 7 TV appearance on Fox & Friends, when McMahon was asked if she believed that the country needed an Education Department, she replied with a stark “no, we don’t.” In a separate appearance on NewsNation Live,

These loans can cover the cost of tuition, housing and textbooks — but they must eventually be repaid, plus interest