Republican committee demands Biden administration turn over documents on FAFSA implementation

Republicans in Congress are intensifying their investigation into the origins of a college financial aid crisis that impacted students nationwide.

The House of Representatives education committee issued a subpoena on Thursday, mandating the Biden administration to provide a significant amount of documents by Aug. 8, as per a copy of the order obtained by USA TODAY.

Virginia Foxx, a GOP congresswoman from North Carolina heading the committee, criticized the Department of Education for not fully cooperating with federal probes into changes made to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

The FAFSA, relied upon by millions of students annually to assist in college payments, faced numerous glitches this spring, causing delays that hindered students from estimating their collegiate expenses. The bureaucratic backlog compelled many high school seniors to make crucial decisions under tighter time constraints.

An independent government watchdog agreed earlier this year to examine the malfunction. This entity, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), initiated two differing investigations.

Click here for a detailed timeline: How did the FAFSA rollout go awry? An examination of the key incidents

The GAO verified to USA TODAY that its staff attended a summer conference for college financial aid staff. The purpose of their attendance in relation to the inquiries was not disclosed. Notably, Richard Cordray, a high-ranking Education Department official during the FAFSA debacle, was a keynote speaker at that event.

Read more on Cordray’s resignation: Top Education Department official resigns amidst crisis surrounding college financial aid

Several Republican congress members critical of the Biden administration’s FAFSA rollout also advocate for cutting significant funds from the office supervising the form.

The Education Department stated that its staff dedicated substantial time in assembling and furnishing hundreds of documents to fulfill Congress and GAO’s oversight demands. Furthermore, the agency is committed to providing additional information as requested.

Higher education advocates advocate for Dec. 1 release of upcoming FAFSA

This escalation coincides with Congress contemplating a Republican-backed bill compelling the Education Department to issue the next FAFSA version, for financial assistance for the 2025-26 academic year, by Oct. 1.

Historically, the form is typically available by that date, but last year, it was delayed until after the holiday season. Federal law mandates its release nationwide by Jan. 1.

Conversely, influential Democrats oppose the bill. In a letter to the education secretary on Tuesday, prominent college advocacy groups expressed their reservations. They affirm that the Education Department must undertake significant efforts to prevent further enrollment disasters.

They argued that a meticulously reviewed FAFSA by Dec. 1 is preferable to a timely, error-prone form.

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