Education Chief Calls for Full-Scale Review Following Aid Site Mishap

Education Department Secretary Miguel Cardona has pledged to conduct a comprehensive review of the Financial Student Aid (FSA) office following a problematic launch of a federal aid website that disrupted numerous students in their college search, as reported by NBC News on Thursday.

In a letter to staff members acquired by NBC News, Cardona criticized the management of the malfunctioning Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application program, which has faced issues since the introduction of its updated interface in October.

Cardona stated that the Department of Education is undertaking a “full-scale review of FSA’s current and past organization, management, staffing, workflow structures, business processes, and operations.”

Additionally, Cardona mentioned that “transformational changes” will be implemented at the FSA office, with decisions guided by feedback from students, educators, and experts in systems design.

The DOE has appointed Denise Carter, acting assistant secretary of the office of finance and operations, as the interim chief of FSA while the search for a new executive to replace Richard Cordray, who left in April, continues.

As of May 29, the FSA office has processed the backlog of 10.3 million forms, according to a spokesperson. FAFSA completions have decreased to 15.5% from 40% in March, as reported by NBC News.

“As we implement these changes at FSA, we remain dedicated to ensuring its core functions continue,” Cardona emphasized. “We are diligently working to assist all students in accessing the resources necessary to pursue higher education.”