Labor Soliciting Applications for TRIO Grant on ED’s Behalf

The Labor Department is soliciting applications for a TRIO grant program on the Education Department’s behalf, and awards will be issued on Labor’s grants-management platform, ED announced Tuesday.

Universities, state governments and other entities can now apply for up to $10 million each—estimated available funding totals $175.2 million—to help administer the federal Talent Search Program. ED says the goal of Talent Search, which is one of eight TRIO programs, is to “increase the number of youth from disadvantaged backgrounds who complete high school” and college.

“These actions further align the postsecondary and workforce education programs of ED and DOL and will position DOL as the central hub for America’s postsecondary education and workforce development programs,” ED said in a news release.

It’s the latest example of ED using interagency agreements to transfer its work to other federal agencies, as the Trump administration continues pushing to eliminate the Education Department. Only Congress, which created ED by law, can end it.

Through the agreement, Labor is essentially administering ED grant programs, while ED continues to set the budget, criteria and priorities for the programs and manage hiring and other HR processes, among other activities. Some ED employees were detailed to work at Labor in January, ED said.

“We are proud to partner with the Department of Labor to streamline postsecondary and workforce education programs to better serve students, institutions of higher education, and grantees,” said David Barker, ED’s assistant secretary for postsecondary education, in Tuesday’s release.