The Education Department gave another agency power to distribute its money. It hasn't gone well.

A controversial push to restructure the Education Department under the Trump administration has faced significant setbacks, raising questions about the feasibility of broader reforms. Early efforts to reorganize the agency’s oversight of student loans and grant programs have encountered resistance, potentially weakening the administration’s more sweeping plans to reshape federal education policy. Critics argue the missteps could leave key initiatives vulnerable, while supporters maintain the long-term vision remains intact. The outcome may hinge on whether lawmakers and regulators can reconcile competing priorities in higher education funding and accountability.

The stumbles of an early Trump administration experiment to carve up the Education Department risks undercutting the president’s more dramatic demolition plan for the agency. The Labor Department ...