Federal Student Aid

Each of ED's 17 offices play a vital role in ensuring students of all ages receive the highest quality education possible.

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FSA is responsible for managing the student financial assistance programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. These programs provide grant, work-study, and loan funds to students attending college or career school.

About Federal Student Aid

Through Federal Student Aid (a performance-based organization), the U.S. Department of Education awards more than $120 billion a year in grants, work-study funds, and low-interest loans to approximately 13 million students.

Federal Student Aid's Performance

  • Read our five-year strategic plan and annual reports, which have information on our mission, organization, programs, and performance.

How we serve the public

  • Applying for federal grants, loans, and work-study costs nothing! More than 21 million students used the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) last year, and many of them apply online at FAFSA on the Web.
  • Visit StudentAid.gov for complete information on receiving federal financial aid for college. The Federal Student Aid Information Center helps students complete the FAFSA and provides the public with free information about our programs. Call 1-800-4-FED-AID to speak to a specialist about the programs.
  • The Knowledge Center website is an indispensable source of guidance for financial aid administrators, auditors, and others who are involved with the Federal Student Aid Programs. You will find Dear Colleague Letters, electronic announcements, the FSA Handbook and other publications, and much more.
  • Also for financial aid professionals is the Postsecondary Education Participants System or PEPS. At the PEPS website you'll find reports of closed schools, the Case Management and Oversight weekly institutional updates, and other information.
  • We have an Ombudsman's office to assist borrowers in resolving student loan issues.
  • The HEA authorizes an "experimental sites" initiative that allows schools that apply and qualify for participation to use alternative methods to meet some of the requirements for administering the Federal Student Aid programs. See the website for more information.

FSA Partner Connect is the new home of the E-App

FSA Partner Connect is for individuals involved in the administration of Title IV financial aid for postsecondary education. Explore policy and guidance in the Knowledge Center, access helpful tools, find training announcements, or link to other Federal Student Aid websites to manage Title IV program eligibility and complete aid administration tasks.

Visit the Title IV Participation Application

Welcome to the Federal Student Aid Training Center

Access the training site

Federal Student Aid Office of Enforcement Tip Submission

Do you know about illegal acts or other conduct that might violate the Higher Education Act or federal rules for institutions of higher education?
We want to hear from you!

Email the FSA Office of Enforcement today at FSATips@usdept.gov

As part of its responsibilities to protect students and their families, as well as taxpayers, Federal Student Aid ("FSA") provides an opportunity for knowledgeable sources to submit relevant tips and information about potential violations by institutions of the Higher Education Act and its implementing regulations directly to the FSA Office of Enforcement. FSA welcomes and encourages information from current or former employees, vendors, or contractors of institutions of higher education, third-party servicers, third party lead generators, students or any other relevant individual about potential violations.

How to send the Office of Enforcement a tip

To provide a tip, please email FSATips@usdept.gov. Please include your name and contact information. Please explicitly state any request to keep your identity confidential (see below for confidentiality procedures). Other helpful information to provide includes:

  • The name and location of the institution that is the subject of the tip.
  • Your affiliation to or with the institution. (Were you an employee, student, vendor, contractor, or something else? When were you working at the school? Or are you still working there?)
  • The dates that the alleged misconduct occurred or whether it is still happening.

Confidentiality

Although you may request that the Office of Enforcement keep your identity confidential, it cannot guarantee complete confidentiality. Be advised:

  • Confidentiality only applies to your identity and contact information, not to the information provided (i.e., the Office of Enforcement may, if necessary, share the facts and circumstances provided by you).
  • To the extent consistent with law enforcement needs and as permitted by federal laws (including the Privacy Act, the Freedom of Information Act, and any applicable Department of Education and FSA regulations), the Office of Enforcement will make a good faith effort to honor a request for confidentiality. However, it may be required to disclose your identity pursuant to a federal law (such as the Privacy Act, the Freedom of Information Act, and any applicable Department of Education and FSA regulations), a court order, or other judicial or administrative process. Also, your identity may be disclosed to other Department of Education personnel as part of the Office of Enforcement's follow-up.
  • Depending on the nature of the information you provide, other individuals, including coworkers, subordinates, supervisors, etc., may deduce or infer your identity.
  • You may elect to provide information anonymously. However, submitting information without your name and appropriate contact information prevents the Office of Enforcement from contacting you to ask follow-up questions and may limit its ability to investigate or take further action to stop alleged misconduct.

Other Resources

Do you want to file a complaint because you think you were discriminated against by your school based on your race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age, or were retaliated against because of a civil rights complaint you made? If so, you should direct your complaint to the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights: https//:usdept.gov/laws-and-policy/civil-rights-laws/file-a-complaint/file-a-complaint-discrimination-form-us-department-of-education or 1-800-421-3481.

Does your complaint involve fraud, waste, abuse, mismanagement, or violations of laws and regulations involving Department of Education (“Department”) funds or programs? This includes allegations of suspected wrongdoing by Department employees, contractors, grantees, schools and school officials, persons in positions of trust involving Department funds or programs, collection agencies, recipients of student financial assistance, or lending institutions. If yes, please also contact the Office of Inspector General Hotline at https://oighotline.usdept.gov.

Are you a student looking to submit a complaint related to issues with your loan, delinquency or default, wage garnishment, school closure or release of transcripts, application issues, and/or other student issues? If so, please visit https://studentaid.gov/feedback-center to submit your complaint.