In a recent Electronic Announcement dated February 9, 2024, the U.S. Department of Education
(referred to as the Department) has provided additional information regarding the three elements of its
FAFSA College Support Strategy. This strategy involves deploying extra staff, allocating funds for
technical assistance and support, and providing additional resources to aid colleges in promptly and
accurately processing student's financial aid.
This announcement underscores the further measures unveiled by the Department today.
Enhancing Efficiency in Student Record Processing for Educational Institutions Today, the Department of
Education is introducing measures aimed at expediting and streamlining the processing of student
records by educational institutions. These measures include:
1. Substantially reducing verification requirements: This year, the Department will markedly
decrease verification requirements while maintaining essential measures to prevent identity
fraud. Historically, the Department has subjected a larger proportion of FAFSA applicants to
verification by colleges. However, in recent times, the Department has progressively reduced
this verification rate to better focus verification efforts and ease the burden on millions of
students and thousands of schools. With the introduction of direct data exchange with the IRS,
facilitated by this year's revamped FAFSA form, the Department is receiving the majority of
income data directly from the IRS, obviating the need for further verification. This significant
reduction in verifications for this year will lessen the workload for colleges and students while
still safeguarding against fraud.
2. Temporarily suspending new routine program reviews: As part of its oversight responsibilities,
the Department routinely conducts program reviews to ensure that colleges meet its
requirements for institutional eligibility, financial responsibility, and administrative capability.
The Department will halt all new program reviews until June 2024, except for those addressing
the most serious issues such as suspected fraud or severe breaches of fiduciary duty. Institutions
undergoing ongoing program reviews can also request extensions for responding to program
reviews, reports, or requests for additional documentation. This flexibility will reduce the time
that colleges financial aid offices need to spend on producing documentation and addressing
Department inquiries, enabling them to concentrate on swiftly providing aid award offers to
students.
3. Offering additional flexibility on recertification: Currently, institutions must regularly recertify
eligibility for the Department's federal student aid programs at least 90 days before their
Program Participation Agreement (PPA) expires. The Department will waive this 90-day
requirement for schools whose PPA expires in March, June, or September 2024, allowing them
to submit a recertification application until their expiration date. This flexibility will give
institutions more time during this critical period and allow them to prioritize resources toward
ensuring students receive the aid they require.
