The U.S. Department of Education this week finalized agreements to move dozens of grant programs to other federal agencies while using nondisclosure agreements in talks, prompting scrutiny from reporters, lawmakers and agency watchdogs. Reuters reported the NDAs after speaking with four sources; Education Secretary Linda McMahon has defended the transfers as legal and said ED will retain policy control. The arrangements shift administration of programs — including postsecondary grants — to agencies such as Labor and Interior, a move Trump officials frame as shrinking or reorganizing the department. Critics warn the transfers create legal, operational and tribal-consultation risks that could disrupt services for students, borrowers and Tribal Colleges and Universities. University and state education leaders should expect operational confusion for grant administration, altered compliance pathways, and heightened congressional and inspector-general oversight in the months ahead.