Education Department Transfers Billions in K-12 Grant Programs to Other Agencies
March 14, 2026 · 2 min read
Jared Klein
The Department of Education is no longer managing most of the programs it was created to oversee.
Under nine separate interagency agreements, billions of dollars in grant programs are migrating to the Department of Labor, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Interior — a reorganization that is already disrupting grant competitions and leaving applicants uncertain about where to submit proposals.
Which Programs Moved Where
The Department of Labor now oversees the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Office of Postsecondary Education, including management of Title I (low-income schools), Title II (teacher quality), Title III (English learners), and Title IV (student support). These programs alone represent tens of billions in annual appropriations.
HHS received six programs through its Administration for Children and Families, including community schools, family engagement, and emergency response grants. The Department of Interior took Native American education funding.
But here is the catch: the administration's FY2026 budget request proposes zeroing out five of the six programs transferred to HHS. The transfer may be a prelude to elimination.
Stalled Competitions and Missing Deadlines
Two TRIO programs supporting college access for low-income students lack active grant competitions as of mid-March. Native Hawaiian and Alaska Native education programs — funded at $45 million each — have not held competitions since 2023. Career and technical education saw 19 grants canceled, many in rural districts.
"The theme here is: they got stopped in one way, and this is another way they're trying to do it," school finance consultant Catherine Pozniak told Education Week.
Practical Steps for Grant Seekers
School districts and education nonprofits should monitor both the original Education Department grant portals and the new host agencies' announcement pages. Title I grantees should confirm their point of contact has transferred with the program. Organizations applying for community school or family engagement funding should verify whether the receiving HHS office is actually running competitions before investing in applications.
For ongoing tracking of which education grants remain active and where to apply, Granted maintains updated funding opportunity listings across all federal agencies.