"Education Department Takes Action to Address FAFSA Challenges for Students and Colleges"

The U.S. Department of Education is taking additional steps to support colleges and students with the FAFSA process, aiming to make it easier for schools to process student financial aid forms and provide maximum aid to students. These steps include reducing verification requirements, suspending routine school compliance reviews, and providing flexibility on recertification. The Department is also deploying federal personnel to support under-resourced colleges, allocating $50 million in funding for technical assistance, and releasing test versions of Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs) to help institutions prepare their systems. U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona emphasized the goal of simplifying the FAFSA process for colleges, universities, and students.