President Trump Signs Executive Order Halting Federal Funding for Schools Mandating COVID Vaccine
President Trump has tasked Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy with devising a wind-down order “to end these mandates and end federal funding for entities that do not comply.”
By Adan Salazar
February 16, 2025
President Donald Trump on Friday signed an Executive Order to stop US schools from receiving federal funding if they require students to take Covid-19 vaccines, fulfilling yet another campaign promise.
“That solves that problem,” President Trump said at a signing inside the Oval Office, adding it would be implemented through the Department of Education.
WATCH: Daniel Baldwin on X: "NOW: President Trump signs an EO halting federal funding for schools that mandate the COVID vaccine. https://t.co/qlzZMGMHRU" / X
The order reportedly prohibits “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,” according to Breitbart.
President Trump signs executive order stripping funds from schools requiring COVID-19 vaccines
The Hill reports President Trump has tasked Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy with devising a wind-down order “to end these mandates and end federal funding for entities that do not comply.”
“This would include writing a report about ‘non-compliant entities’ and developing a system to halt federal funding to ‘educational entities’ with coronavirus mandates,” notes Breitbart.
The Trump admin said the mandates were “threatening educational opportunities for students,” adding they force parents “into a difficult position: comply with a controversial mandate or risk their child’s educational future,” according to a fact sheet handed out to reporters.
Asked in December after winning the election his sentiments on vaccine mandates in schools, Trump replied, “I don’t like mandates. I’m not a big mandate person.”
Friday’s order fulfills yet another promise President Trump made on the campaign trail, where he vowed to “not give one penny to any school that has a vaccine mandate or a mask mandate.”
President Trump's directive also calls on Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the incoming Education secretary to "provide a plan to end coercive COVID-19 vaccine mandates" and report back on the compliance of schools.
One open question is whether the new administration could opt to go beyond COVID vaccines and put pressure on schools to drop requirements for other vaccines.
Currently, all 50 states mandate that students receive certain vaccinations, including to prevent the measles. Many states, however, offer religious exemptions.
President Trump campaigned on ending all vaccine and mask mandates.
"I will not give one penny to any school that has a vaccine mandate or a mask mandate," President Trump declared last August.
According to a White House fact sheet, the order also applies to education service agencies, state education agencies, and local education agencies.
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