Dismantling of ED Earns Some Praise Amid the Gloom

The Trump administration’s decision Tuesday to outsource dozens of Education Department programs to other federal agencies prompted pushback, applause and some cautious optimism.

Several higher ed leaders said they care most about ensuring grant dollars reach the students and institutions Congress intended them for, not what agency they are housed under. But the question is whether those students and institutions will still be able to count on the federal government for the money after the outsourcing takes effect.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon is planning to transfer the oversight of more than a dozen grant programs to four other agencies: the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, Interior, and State. Some argue that these moves are necessary to rein in a bloated bureaucracy, while others worry that the transition will create unnecessary hurdles for institutions.

Other advocates were more forceful in their condemnation. To Ted Mitchell, the president of the American Council on Education, the transfer of operations is “an enormous waste of taxpayer money” and will be “a grave disservice to millions of students and families.”

“We urge the administration to change course and concentrate on ensuring the Department of Education is doing the best possible job for students and families,” said Mitchell, who served in the department under President Obama. “If the administration insists on staying on this path, then Congress should step in and take action to head off this deeply misguided decision.”​

Democrats noted repeatedly in statements that only Congress has the authority to move programs and shut down the department, whereas Republicans supported McMahon’s decision.

“I agree with President Trump that education decisions should be in the hands of parents and local communities,” Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican and chair of the Senate education panel, said in his statement. “My hope is that these changes further that goal.”

Capacity Concerns

But a number of advocacy groups and institutions that rely on the programs McMahon relocated fear that decentralizing the department’s operations will only make things more bureaucratic, not less.

Cheryl Crazy Bull, CEO of the American Indian College Fund, said it’s hard to know the exact implications of moving tribal college oversight to the Department of Interior. But she’s concerned that the Bureau of Indian Education, which has drawn criticism for its handling of tribal K–12 schools and the two tribal colleges it already oversees, isn’t equipped for this new role.

“I’m torn between having a ‘wait and see what they’re proposing’ [approach] and being alarmed that they’re making this move with seemingly not a lot of preparation and definitely not a lot of consultation from Indian country,” she said. “The Bureau of Indian Education is not set up to administer a significant number of grant programs beyond what their current capacity is.”

The American Indian Higher Education Consortium added that it will closely monitor the transition and work with the staff at Interior to “ensure stability and continuity for Tribal Colleges and Universities and their students” while also ensuring the government upholds its treaty obligations.

But still, Crazy Bull said, it remains unclear how ED can legally shed its responsibility for tribal education given its Office of Indian Education oversees the National Advisory Council on Indian Education, which is required by law.

“At this point, it doesn’t feel like a very well-thought-out move,” she said.

Tanya Ang, executive director of the Today’s Student Coalition, a group advocating for adult learners and student parents, raised similar concerns about the decision to move CCAMPIS to HHS. CCAMPIS funds childcare centers on or near campuses for student parents.

The department first proposed defunding the program in May. Then, in July, it put new grant applications on hold. Finally, in September, it discontinued certain existing grants because the programs taught children about gender identity and racial justice or hired staff based on criteria other than merit.

Knowing all of this, Ang isn’t sure what to think about the move to HHS.

In some ways, she’s trying to stay optimistic that the application delay was temporary and that CCAMPIS will resume as normal under new oversight. But part of her worries that the Trump administration will merge CCAMPIS with a broader childcare program for working parents known as the Community Services Block Grant. (ED officials said in a fact sheet that the program is unaffordable and duplicative.)

“In a perfect world, there will be a smooth transition where a [request for proposals] will run in the beginning of 2026 and the 100 entities who lost their CCAMPIS funding … will be made whole,” she said. “But I also worry that the transfer to HHS might create more competition amongst already underfunded programs and ultimately eliminate CCAMPIS.”

Both Ang and a TRIO expert, who asked to remain anonymous, said they hope the bipartisan congressional support for their programs will provide extra protection. TRIO, a collection of grant programs aimed to support first-generation and low-income students, will move to the Department of Labor, along with more than a dozen other higher ed programs.

While about 120 TRIO grants lost funding this academic year, the vast majority received their awards. Add given that the House and Senate are planning to fully fund TRIO, despite Trump’s suggestion to defund it, the expert said she’s hopeful for the future of the program.

“What I’m more concerned about is making sure there’s still a smooth transition” and that the new grant competition starts on time in early 2026, she explained.

The expert added that TRIO predates the Department of Education and was originally managed by the Department of Health, Education and Welfare.

“So again, for veterans of the TRIO movement, this isn’t as alarming,” she said. Rather, she views it as an attempt to “strike fear in the hearts of those who care about not just TRIO, but all the programs that are being moved off into other agencies.”

However, Bob Eitel, president of the Defense Freedom Institute, a right-leaning think tank, said Tuesday’s announcement is only the beginning.

“These efforts set the stage for Congress to finally dismantle the agency, which has failed to improve student outcomes after 45 years and $3 trillion spent,” he said.