Education Department

Cardona is a former teacher and has spent much of the pandemic pushing to reopen schools. President-elect Joe Biden announced his intention to nominate him on Tuesday evening.

DeVos has been a loyal lieutenant to President Trump, a hero to school choice advocates and a villain to defrauded student loan borrowers.

A federal judge says U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos overstepped in trying to send more CARES Act money to help students at private schools.

The civil rights organization argues the Department of Education has directed states to unfairly divert relief funds from public to private schools.

In June, NPR reported that the department was making it harder for colleges to reconsider aid for students whose finances have changed. On Thursday, the agency reversed course.

The administration acknowledges the risk of students spreading the contagion to vulnerable populations but emphasizes that school closures disrupt "critical services to children and their families."

A recent change has led to some colleges hesitating to help students affected by the economic downturn.

The U.S. education secretary has told public K-12 schools they should use their coronavirus relief money to help private school students, too.

Congress set aside $350 million to help colleges with "significant unmet needs" related to the pandemic. Most of that money has gone to small schools that serve just a fraction of U.S. students.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos announced what she called historic changes Wednesday to Obama-era guidelines that she said will make the process fairer.