Press Releases

WASHINGTON – Today, Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC), along with U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, urged the Department of Education (DeptEd) Office of Inspector General (OIG) to provide an update on its investigation into the Biden administration’s botched implementation of this year’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) program.  

Foxx and Cassidy are joined by U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Ranking Member of the Senate Labor-HHS Subcommittee, along with U.S. Representative Robert B. Aderholt (R-AL), Chair of the House Labor-HHS Subcommittee. The lawmakers also asked OIG to review the status of next year’s FAFSA amid serious bipartisan concerns it will not be ready by October. 

“We strongly urge you to continue to focus on this critical matter and to share your findings with Congress and the American people,” wrote the lawmakers. “Students and families who need federal student aid to access postsecondary education deserve our best efforts to ensure that the Department successfully executes the laws enacted by Congress to make student aid easily accessible.” 

Despite the FAFSA form normally being ready in October, the Biden administration was delayed for months in getting this year’s FAFSA fully operational. This prevented colleges from creating financial aid offers, effectively forcing students and families to make this life-changing decision with zero information about their eligibility for financial aid.  

While Secretary Miguel Cardona has made multiple commitments to Congress that next year’s FAFSA is “expected” to be ready by October 1, Republicans and Democrats have expressed concerns to DeptEd that it is again falling behind on its FAFSA responsibilities and refusing to be transparent in its communication. 

On Wednesday, the Education and the Workforce Committee approved bicameral legislation sponsored by U.S. Representative Erin Houchin (R-IN) requiring DeptEd to make FAFSA available by October 1. There was bipartisan approval with a final vote of 34 to 6. Cassidy introduced the bill in the U.S. Senate. 

Foxx and Cassidy previously blasted the Biden administration for illegally obstructing the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) investigation into FAFSA, failing to provide requested information as required by federal law.

Read the full letter here.