U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon Issues Statement on Passage of the ‘No Aid for Ghost Students Act’

Today, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon released the following statement in response to the U.S. House of Representatives passage of H.R. 7892, the No Aid for Ghost Students Act:

"Federal student aid is meant for students, not fraudsters. We are proud to see the House pass Congressman Burgess Owens' No Aid for Ghost Students Act, which will cement our ongoing efforts to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse by requiring screening for suspicious federal student aid applications. The previous Administration turned off nearly every single fraud prevention measure, allowing billions of taxpayer dollars to be stolen by 'ghost students' and other criminals. Since Day One, the Trump Administration has been committed to restoring existing fraud detection capabilities while building the most comprehensive fraud-detection system in the Department's history. The No Aid for Ghost Students Act would build on our efforts that prevented more than $1 billion dollar in student aid fraud and ensure that no future Administration can be derelict in their duties to protect students and American taxpayers."

Background:

The Trump Administration has taken historic, proactive measures to ensure federal student aid dollars are used responsibly. Under Secretary McMahon's leadership and in coordination with the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, the Department launched the largest and most comprehensive nationwide fraud prevention effort in the agency's history. The new real-time, risk-based identity screening was implemented within the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form. Since launching in April 2026, this new system has already prevented more than $100 million from falling into the hands of fraudsters.

Additionally, the Department conducted a comprehensive review of its fraud prevention systems and made the following changes to protect the federal student aid programs, saving the American taxpayer millions of dollars:

• The Department strengthened real-time data-sharing with the Social Security Administration to prevent identity theft and stop money from going to dead individuals, saving the American taxpayer more than $30 million.
• The Department resumed automated post-screening of student aid records, preventing overpayments to ensure lifetime federal Pell Grant limits are respected and enforced, saving American taxpayers more than $10 million.
• The Department partnered with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to ensure illegal aliens no longer receive federal student aid funds.
• The Department conducted a one-time review of all previously submitted 2026-27 FAFSA forms, ensuring that all federal student aid dollars are supporting students and families, not fraudsters.

Victories for American Taxpayers:

• READ: Victories for American Taxpayers: Trump Administration Reveals Top States Impacted by Federal Student Aid Fraud
• READ: Victories for American Taxpayers: Eliminating Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Across Federal Student Aid Programs
• READ: Victories for American Taxpayers: Exposing COVID-Era Fraud, Waste, and Abuse in Federal Education Programs
• READ: Trump Admin Intercepts $60 Million In Student Loan Fraud