What is the future of FAFSA and financial aid if the Ministry of Education closes?

On Thursday, March 20, US President Donald Trump signed Executive order Intentionally Eliminate the Ministry of Education And “return power on education” for the local states and government.

One of the critical jobs in management is the financial aid management of federal students such as scholarships and student loans. If the Ministry of Education is closed, what does this mean for free application to help federal students, or FAFSA?

In comments by reporters on Thursday, the press secretary Caroline Levit said This, “When it comes to students’ loans and giving Bill, that will continue to be running out of the Ministry of Education. ” The next day, Trump installed these plans, Advertisement The small business administration will take over the student loans.

The measures conducted by the White House have already weakened the Ministry of Education – on March 11, The agency’s employees have been reduced by about halfand Studentaid.gov The site went for hours.

“These workforce discounts raise serious questions about the future jobs of federal aid programs,” student loan expert Eileen Robin He said in an email. “There was little communication on how the administration planned to maintain effective operations and prevent disorders.”

If you are worried about filling 2025-26 Fava – Or you have already provided it- here you need to know.

Does he go away?

Even if the Ministry of Education is eliminated, experts do not believe that federal aid for students or faffsa will disappear.

“Software System and Communication Center through contractors, but there is still an important work at home,” student loan expert Mark Cantroitz He said in an email. “after FAFSA FIASCO last yearThe end of the employees can be a disaster. “

Robin pointed out that FAFSA is the “trigger application” not only for federal financial aid programs but also for many governmental and institutional assistance programs.

“It will be a great pledge to replace FAFSA, but this does not mean that at some point it cannot be,” Robin said. Since a complex program depends on the application, “We don’t really expect FAFSA to move away at this time.”

Where can FAFSA go?

Before Trump’s announcement on Friday, the most obvious options for the new FAFSA house were the Treasury or the internal revenue service, because the FAFSA model is already connected to the tax department system to download the tax declaration data.

Kantrowitz initially told CNET that the Treasury will be the most likely destination for student loan programs. After Trump’s announcement on Friday, Kantrowitz indicated that the transfer of student loans and FAFSA to small business administration still requires Congress approval.

He added that regardless of the agency it takes, the federal government must continue to manage and manage student assistance.

“The states are unable to deal with student loans,” said Canties. “Special lenders lack the capacity and appetite to privatize the Federal Student Loan Portfolio.”

“FAFSA moves, the borrowers may not notice a lot of teams, depending on who runs the programs.

“Most of the jobs are performed (from student loan programs) through contractors,” he said. “SBA lacks experience in managing and collecting students’ loans. If they transport relevant FSA employees and continue to use current student loan staff, the disruption must be minimal. Otherwise, there is a possibility of chaos and great confusion between borrowers. ”

Are you still offering FAFSA?

If you need help paying the college price, experts say you should Continue to use FAFSA. The model is used to determine your eligibility for financial assistance, including Pell Scholarships, Scholarships, Labor Study Programs and student loans.

Robin referred to a group of people who have added concerns about completing the FAFSA model: students who need to report information from one of the parents or immigrant husband. Applicants who are not non -American citizens with Qualifier documents You may be eligible for financial help; The financial “shareholders” situation, such as parents and husbands, does not affect eligibility.

the Privacy Law of 1974 The agency prevents the participation of some information that is determined without written approval or an explicit agreement. under Current agreementsThe administration shares FAFSA information for applicants – but not shareholders – with the Ministry of Internal Security to verify the applicant’s status. Robin said that the aggressive position of this administration against illegal immigrants has many families who are concerned about providing information that can be illegally shared with immigration authorities.

She does not have a global advice for these applicants. “You must reach … What is best for the family and what they are comfortable.”

What do you expect if you submit your FAFSA request

If you have already submitted your FAFSA model, the Ministry of Education says it will deal with your online request within a day to three days (paper submissions takes longer).

After processing your form, you can log in to Studentaid.gov To see your application summary and make corrections. However, due to employment discounts, you should expect a delay if you have any questions or problems with your request, experts warned.

The summary should include a student aid index, which the department sends directly to the schools you included in your FAFSA model. Schools use Sai to calculate the amount of financial aid they will give you. If you are concerned that your school has not received your information to determine your financial aid package, contact your school’s financial aid office.