Founded in 1979, the U.S. Department of Education was established when President Jimmy Carter signed the Department of Education Organization Act into law. The idea came from a long-running push to give education its own cabinet-level department so the federal government could more directly handle issues like schools, student aid, and education policy. The website ed.gov was later created as the department’s official online home so the public could easily access information, announcements, and resources. Today, the Department of Education—and its website—is owned and operated by the United States federal government. Today, ed.gov mainly covers education news, federal policy updates, student loans, financial aid, civil rights in schools, grants, and official government announcements rather than sports or entertainment news. It is based in Washington, D.C., where the Department of Education is headquartered. The site is used by students, parents, teachers, researchers, and schools to find official information about education in the United States. One interesting fact: A surprising fact about ed.gov is that it is the main online source for FAFSA and federal student aid information, which means millions of college students rely on it each year when applying for help paying for school.