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56m ago

Education Department Shifts Major Grant Programs to Other Agencies in New Push to Dismantle

The White House frames the transfers as a proof of concept to persuade Congress to eliminate the department.

President Donald Trump stands with Secretary of Education Linda McMahon after signing an executive order to reduce the size and scope of the Education Department, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House on March 20.
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WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 30, 2025: People exit the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, DC, on September 30, 2025. (Photo by Salwan Georges/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Overview

  • Six newly signed agreements move large K‑12 and higher‑education grants to Labor, HHS, Interior and State, including sending the $18 billion Title I program to the Labor Department.
  • The Education Department will keep control of the $1.6 trillion federal student‑loan system and college accreditation for now, with officials saying congressional funding levels for programs will continue.
  • The arrangements effectively outsource the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education and most of the Office of Postsecondary Education, with reports indicating Civil Rights, Special Education and Indian Education functions are also targeted for transfer.
  • Department officials say ED will retain oversight authority over transferred programs and allow affected employees to move to partner agencies, while unions, Democrats and legal experts question the plan’s legality and warn of service and civil‑rights risks.
  • A poll commissioned by the Yes Every Kid Foundation shows majority support for closing ED after respondents hear implementation details, as Secretary Linda McMahon points to the recent 43‑day shutdown to argue the bureaucracy is unnecessary and as litigation and congressional pushback continue.