Education Department Announces Transfer of Grant Programs

On Tuesday, the Education Department revealed that it will transfer six of its major grant programs to other executive branch agencies. This move marks a significant part of the Trump administration’s initiative to reorganize large educational institutions.

A senior official from the department shared that the K-12 and postsecondary education division, responsible for managing over $31 billion in grants, will now fall under the Department of Labor’s oversight.

Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services will take charge of subsidy programs aimed at assisting parents with child care while attending college, along with managing foreign medical school accreditations.

The Department of State will assume control of foreign language programs, while the Department of the Interior will oversee education programs for Native Americans, as outlined in the remaining Interagency Agreement (IAA).

It’s worth noting that the recent announcement does not impact the $1.6 trillion student loan portfolio or the funding allocated for students with disabilities. However, officials have indicated that discussions about transferring these responsibilities to other departments remain underway.

This plan is anticipated to encounter legal obstacles from Democrats and other progressives who contend that congressional approval is necessary for such significant changes. In defense, department officials assert that the IAA is legally permissible under the Economic Act of 1932, which permits executive agencies to procure goods and services from one another unless they can find better options more affordably in the private sector.