Nicholas Kent Becomes Fourteenth Under Secretary of Education
Overview
Just moments ago at 9:50 PM ET the U.S. Senate voted (50-45) to confirm Nicholas Kent as the fourteenth Secretary of Education since the establishment of the Department of Education in 1979.
Mr. Kent will now assume the roles and responsibilities of what is considered to be one of the top two highest-ranking positions within the U.S. Department of Education under Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and the primary individual responsible for overseeing the Offices of Postsecondary Education, Career, Technical, and Adult Education, and Federal Student Aid.
Mr. Kent was nominated by President Trump on February 12th, was reported favorably out of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on May 22^nd, completed the procedural processes for full Senate floor consideration in the month of July, and was officially confirmed by the Senate today, August 1, 2025.
CSPEN wishes to congratulate Mr. Kent on his confirmation and looks forward to his leadership on higher education and workforce regulatory policy as President Trump’s appointee.
February 12th Department of Education Press Release
Nicholas Kent joins the Department of Education after serving as Deputy Secretary of Education for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Prior to serving in the Youngkin Administration, Kent was the Chief Policy Officer at Career Education Colleges and Universities (CECU), a national higher education trade association. Before joining CECU, he was the Director of Policy, Planning, and Research at the DC office of the State Superintendent of Education.
“Nicholas Kent is a leader in higher education reform, and his nomination is a testament to the outstanding work for Virginia students and families. His leadership as Virginia’s Deputy Secretary of Education strengthened the management of our higher education institutions, increasing transparency to hold them accountable to parents and students. Nicholas has been a true partner in championing free speech and intellectual freedom in our public institutions. President Trump and America are gaining a leader who will put education back on track.” – Glenn Youngkin,
List of Former Under Secretaries of Education
- Steven Alan Minter
- William C. Clohan Jr.
- Gary Jones
- Gary Bauer
- Linus Wright
- Ted Sanders
- Marshall Smith
- Gene Hickock
- Edward McPherson
- Sara Martinez Tucker
- Martha Kanter
- Ted Miller
- James Kvaal
