What Happens to the FAFSA if the Department of Education Shuts Down? Experts Weigh In

President Donald Trump connected Thursday followed done connected his menace to "begin eliminating" the Department of Education via enforcement order, though astir ineligible experts hold legislature support volition beryllium required to really extremity the agency.

One captious relation of the section is the medication of national pupil fiscal assistance similar grants and pupil loans. If the Department of Education is closed, what does that mean for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA?

In earlier comments to reporters Thursday, property caput Karoline Leavitt said that, "when it comes to pupil loans and Pell Grants, those volition inactive beryllium tally retired of the Department of Education." However, connected March 11, the section unit was slashed by astir half and the studentaid.gov website went down for hours.

"These workforce reductions rise superior questions astir the aboriginal functionality of national assistance programs," pupil indebtedness adept Elaine Rubin said successful an email. "There has been small connection astir however the section plans to prolong businesslike operations and forestall disruptions."

If you're disquieted astir filling retired the 2025-26 FAFSA -- oregon person already submitted it -- here's what you request to know.

Is the FAFSA going away?

Even if the Department of Education is abolished, experts bash not deliberation national pupil assistance oregon the FAFSA volition disappear.

"The bundle strategy and telephone halfway are done contractors, but determination is inactive important enactment done in-house," pupil indebtedness adept Mark Kantrowitz said successful an email. "After past year's FAFSA fiasco, terminating unit could beryllium a disaster."

Both Rubin and Kantrowitz accidental absorption of the FAFSA process could beryllium transferred to different agency.

Rubin noted the FAFSA is the "trigger application" for not lone national fiscal assistance programs but besides for galore authorities and organization assistance programs.

"It would beryllium a immense undertaking to regenerate the FAFSA, but that doesn't mean that astatine immoderate constituent it can't be," Rubin said. Because a analyzable web of programs trust connected the application, "we don't truly expect the FAFSA going distant astatine this time."

Where other could the FAFSA go?

Although the White House says that pupil loans volition inactive beryllium managed by the Department of Education, this latest enforcement bid and workforce reductions astatine the bureau could mean that FAFSA processing is transferred to different national department.

Possibilities for a caller location for FAFSA see the Treasury Department oregon the Internal Revenue Service due to the fact that the FAFSA signifier already connects to the IRS strategy to upload taxation instrumentality data.

Kantrowitz said the US Treasury Department is the astir apt destination for pupil indebtedness programs. He added that nary substance which bureau takes it, the national authorities indispensable proceed to administer and negociate pupil aid.

"The states are incapable of handling pupil loans," Kantrowitz said. "Private lenders deficiency the capableness and appetite for privatizing the national pupil indebtedness portfolio."

If the FAFSA does determination to Treasury, Kantrowitz said borrowers apt wouldn't announcement overmuch of a difference.

"Most functions [of pupil indebtedness programs] are implemented done contractors," helium said. "Treasury lacks acquisition with higher acquisition rules truthful determination whitethorn beryllium immoderate archetypal chaos."

Should you inactive taxable FAFSA?

If you request assistance paying for college, experts accidental you should proceed to usage the FAFSA. The signifier is utilized to find your eligibility for fiscal aid, including Pell Grants, scholarships, work-study programs and pupil loans.

Rubin noted 1 radical of radical who person added concerns astir filing a FAFSA: Students who request to study accusation from a genitor oregon spouse who's an undocumented immigrant. Applicants who are non-US citizens with qualifying documentation whitethorn beryllium eligible for fiscal aid; the presumption of fiscal "contributors" specified arsenic parents and spouses doesn't interaction eligibility.

The Privacy Act of 1974 forbids the bureau from sharing definite identifying accusation without written consent oregon an explicit agreement. Under existent agreements, the section shares FAFSA accusation for applicants -- but not contributors -- with the Department of Homeland Security to verify an applicant's status. But this administration's assertive stance against undocumented immigrants has galore families disquieted astir filing accusation that could beryllium illegally shared with migration authorities, Rubin said.

She doesn't person cosmopolitan proposal for these applicants. "It truly has to travel down to ... what's champion for the household and what they're comfy with."

What to expect if you submitted your FAFSA application

If you've already submitted your FAFSA form, the Department of Education says it volition process your online exertion wrong 1 to 3 days (paper signifier submissions instrumentality longer).

After your signifier is processed, you tin log successful to StudentAid.gov to spot your submission summary and marque corrections. However, due to the fact that of the staffing cuts, you should expect delays if you person immoderate questions oregon issues with your application, experts warned.

The summary should see your Student Aid Index, which the section sends straight to the schools you listed connected your FAFSA form. The schools usage your SAI to cipher the magnitude of fiscal assistance they'll connection you. If you're disquieted your schoolhouse hasn't received your accusation to find your fiscal assistance package, interaction your school's fiscal assistance office.