U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Labor Take Next Steps to Implement Postsecondary Education Partnership

Today, the U.S. Departments of Education (ED) and Labor (DOL) announced that they have taken additional steps to integrate the nation's postsecondary education and workforce development programs. Beginning the week of January 20, 2026, staff in the Higher Education Programs (HEP) Division of ED's Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) will be detailed to work at DOL as the agencies work together to better coordinate Federal postsecondary education programs.

Following the detail, HEP grantees will transition to DOL's Grant Solutions and Payment Management System, aligning the grants management and payment systems across ED and DOL's postsecondary and workforce programs. This replicates the Workforce Development Partnership's successful implementation process.

"As the American economy continues to create new opportunities, the Trump Administration is realigning postsecondary education to ensure students are prepared for success in the workforce," said Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education Dr. David Barker. "We are proud to begin implementing this historic partnership that will not only create a better coordinated Federal approach to postsecondary education and workforce development, but will also ensure that students pursuing higher education pursue programs aligned with their career goals and workforce needs."

"The groundbreaking interagency collaboration between our Departments is anchored in America's Talent Strategy-streamlining fragmented higher education programs into a unified system that prioritizes industry-driven training, boosts worker mobility, enhances accountability, and unleashes innovation to equip millions of students with the skills needed for economic dominance and personal prosperity," said Assistant Secretary for the Employment and Training Administration Dr. Henry Mack. "Not only must colleges and universities aim to develop well-rounded individuals, exposed to the first principles of Western Civilization and thrive as productive citizens; higher education must attend to the needs of American employers, graduating students who are career-ready, productive, and equipped to deliver on the President's reindustrialization agenda."

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 Department's returning education to the states efforts 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 programs 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.

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