U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Labor Announce First Grant Competition Under Postsecondary Education Partnership

Today, the U.S. Departments of Education (ED) and Labor (DOL) issued the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 competition for the Talent Search Program, a grant aimed at helping students pursue high-quality postsecondary education or training, including Registered Apprenticeships. The awards will be issued on DOL's GrantSolutions, a grants management platform. 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.

Today's announcement kicks off ED's FY 2026 grant competition for the Federal TRIO Programs, with additional competitions to follow later this spring and summer. This step follows ED's staff detail earlier this year, as the agencies work together to better coordinate Federal postsecondary and workforce education programs.

"As the nation faces a shortage of more than 700,000 skilled workers, the Trump Administration is transforming the Federal government's approach to workforce development," said Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education Dr. David Barker. "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."

"Under President Trump's leadership, the Departments of Labor and Education are breaking up the Federal education bureaucracy to deliver critical funding more effectively and efficiently-connecting more Americans with a quality postsecondary education that leads to high-wage careers," said Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training Dr. Henry Mack. "We are committed to ensuring every American has access to the tools and training they need to succeed in today's economy. This investment reflects President Trump's vision of a workforce built for the Golden Age of America."

Background:

In November 2025, ED announced six new Interagency Agreements (IAAs) with four agencies to break up the Federal education bureaucracy, ensure efficient delivery of funded programs, and move closer to fulfilling the President's promise to return education to the states. Learn more about the efforts to return education to the states here.

The ED-DOL partnership follows a common format of an IAA, a tool routinely utilized by government agencies to procure services, share resources, and ensure efficient service delivery. Under this partnership, DOL will help manage grant funds, provide technical assistance, and integrate ED's postsecondary programs with the suite of programs that DOL already administers in accordance with 31 U.S.C. § 1535.

ED and DOL's co-administration of programs authorized under the Higher Education Act will streamline postsecondary education programs and connect ED and DOL to create a better coordinated Federal approach to postsecondary education.

ED and DOL will continue to provide grantees with additional guidance as these efforts are implemented.

For more information on this year's Talent Search grant competition, see here.