The Department of Education took additional steps this week that effectively blocks affordable repayment plans and student loan forgiveness for millions of borrowers.

The Department of Education was created by Congress in 1979 to track, manage and coordinate education programs and procedures at the federal level. Trump advisers have said they want to call on Congress to abolish the department, a move that's been floated over the years by Republicans but has always failed to gain widespread support.

The decision to cease applications came after the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a temporary block of the Saving for a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan on Feb. 18, siding with a coalition of Republican-led states that sued to block the program.