Overview
- Six interagency agreements shift management of key Education Department programs to Labor, Health and Human Services, Interior and State, with Labor co‑managing the K‑12 office and taking on major higher‑education grants overseeing roughly $28 billion.
- HHS assumes the CCAMPIS campus child‑care program and foreign medical accreditation, Interior gains Indian Education responsibilities, and State takes international education and foreign language programs.
- The Education Department says it retains statutory oversight and will keep control of federal student loans and college accreditation for now, with staff detailed to partner agencies to handle day‑to‑day grant administration.
- Officials pitch the moves as proof‑of‑concept for President Trump’s March order to wind down the department by streamlining services and shifting authority to states, even as full abolition would require Congress.
- Democrats, unions and education advocates label the strategy unlawful and risky for vulnerable students, litigation over earlier cuts is ongoing after a July Supreme Court ruling allowed downsizing to proceed, and state leaders warn of potential funding and oversight disruptions.