A federal judge permanently reinstated school‑based mental‑health grants to 16 states, ruling that the Education Department’s April cancellation of multi‑year funding was unlawful and politicized. The funding, which previously supported partnerships with colleges to expand school mental-health providers, had been curtailed under new departmental priorities. - The court found the department violated the Administrative Procedure Act by discontinuing already approved multiyear grants without lawful basis, calling the sudden cancellations disruptive to state programs. The judge noted the cancellations harmed states' ability to plan and staff mental‑health services for students. - The ruling arrives amid a broader wave of litigation challenging the administration’s education policies—Education Week documented roughly 70 lawsuits in 2025—covering grant terminations, DEI restrictions, and regulatory rewrites. Institutions and state systems are watching for further court actions that could restore or reshape federal support.