Amid rising concerns over fraud, the U.S. Department of Education will implement stricter screening for financial aid applicants beginning this fall, after reports that scammers stole over $13 million from California community colleges in the last year alone. Officials say the new measures aim to combat abuse without punishing legitimate students.
This summer, schools will be required to manually verify more applicants’ identities—a burden especially for open-enrollment colleges. “We’re bracing for what’s to come,” said Kevin Harral, financial aid director at Las Positas College.
The Trump administration cited CalMatters’ reporting and a congressional letter calling for a fraud investigation when justifying the new screening rules. Many officials welcome federal oversight but worry about added delays and obstacles for students, especially those with undocumented family members.
While fraud remains rare overall, colleges have spent $150 million since 2021 on cybersecurity and prevention. A proposed application fee was postponed after student pushback.
With limited rollout details and the FAFSA’s troubled history, some educators remain skeptical. “I’ll believe it when I see it,” Harral said.
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