The Education Department is expanding interagency cooperation by partnering with the State Department to track foreign funding at universities, part of a broader effort to shift program administration and oversight outside the department. Officials say the move improves national security screening of research partners; critics call it a politicized expansion of surveillance on campuses. At the same time, the Education Department has begun flagging institutions with high student‑loan nonrepayment rates and pressing colleges to take a larger role in post‑graduation repayment outcomes. The agency’s actions underscore an enforcement orientation that ties institutional accountability to student financial outcomes and foreign‑funding transparency. Colleges face rising compliance burdens: enhanced reporting, potential restrictions on foreign collaborations, and increased scrutiny of career‑outcome metrics. Trustees and presidents will need to coordinate federal engagement, legal review and communications strategies as oversight intensifies.