U.S. Education Dept. Transfers Billions in Grants

The U.S. Department of Education has transferred billions of dollars in major grant programs to other federal agencies, marking a significant advancement in the Trump administration's effort to dismantle the department. The move, announced in Washington, involves six new interagency agreements and builds on an executive action by President Donald Trump in March calling for the agency's elimination.

Under the agreements, the Department of Labor will assume oversight of nearly all grants currently managed by the Education Department's offices for K-12 and higher education. This includes the $18 billion Title I program, which provides funding to schools serving low-income communities, as well as smaller initiatives for teacher training, English language instruction and the TRIO program that supports low-income students pursuing college degrees. The transfers effectively outsource the department's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education and most of its Office of Postsecondary Education, two of its largest units.

Other agencies will handle specialized programs as well. The Department of Health and Human Services will manage grants for parents attending college and accreditation...