Labor Department Opens $175 Million TRIO Talent Search Competition
March 31, 2026 · 2 min read
David Almeida
The U.S. Department of Labor has opened a $175 million grant competition for the Talent Search Program — the first grant issued under the Trump administration's new Postsecondary Education Partnership that shifts higher education program administration from the Department of Education to DOL.
The competition will distribute an estimated $175.2 million across roughly 175 grants, with individual awards ranging from $250,000 to $10 million. Applications close May 1, 2026, and will be processed through DOL's GrantSolutions platform rather than ED's traditional systems.
What Changed for TRIO Applicants
Talent Search is one of eight federal TRIO programs that have historically been administered entirely by the Department of Education. Under an interagency agreement formalized in January 2026, DOL now handles grant administration, technical assistance, and award management, while ED retains statutory oversight of budgeting, eligibility criteria, and program priorities.
Some ED staff were reassigned to DOL to facilitate the transition. The arrangement reflects the administration's broader strategy to position the Labor Department as the central hub for postsecondary education and workforce development, aligning college-access programs with registered apprenticeships and talent marketplaces.
Who Should Apply
Talent Search identifies and assists individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds who have the potential to succeed in higher education. The FY 2026 competition lists three priorities: expanding education choice, returning education to the states, and expanding access to talent marketplaces — a notable pivot from prior cycles that emphasized college completion metrics.
Organizations that have historically operated Talent Search projects should pay close attention to the new application platform and revised priorities. First-time applicants now face a different administrative apparatus than any previous TRIO cycle.
One Move Grant Seekers Should Make Now
With the May 1 deadline approaching, current and prospective Talent Search grantees should review the full solicitation on Grants.gov and register in DOL's GrantSolutions system immediately — a step that can take weeks for organizations new to the Labor Department's infrastructure. Grant seekers tracking these shifts can find deadline calendars and agency updates on grantedai.com.
For deeper analysis of how the DOL-ED partnership reshapes the TRIO landscape, check the Granted blog.