Page 1 GAO-25-108002 Education Priority Recommendations
Comptroller General
of the United States
May 6, 2025
The Honorable Linda McMahon
Secretary of Education
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202
Priority Open Recommendations: Department of Education
Dear Secretary McMahon:
Congratulations on your appointment. The purpose of this letter is to call your personal attention
to two areas based on GAO’s past work and eight open priority recommendations, which are
enclosed.
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Additionally, there are 95 other GAO open recommendations that we will continue to
work with your staff to address.
We are highlighting the following areas that warrant your timely and focused attention.
Specifically:
Improving the federal student aid system. The Department of Education needs to take
actions to enhance oversight of federal student aid and loan programs as student loan debt
exceeds $1.6 trillion. The needs of current students and those with student loan debt must
continue to be addressed, regardless of which federal entity ultimately oversees these
programs. For example, in the area of improving Information Technology (IT) acquisitions and
management – an area on our High Risk list - we noted challenges in Education implementing
new IT systems. For example, Education faced various challenges in deploying its modernized
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, such as technical issues that blocked
some students from completing the new form. In addition, the agency has not consistently
provided students with timely and sufficient information needed to complete the form. Improving
the process to complete and submit the form would make it easier for students and families to
apply for financial aid.
Similarly, Education should take steps to improve testing activities in the operation of its FAFSA
Processing System (FPS). While Education established policy to guide its testing activities that
were consistent with selected leading practices, it did not fully implement those policies.
Education also lacks a policy and sound implementation for independent verification and
validation reviews (IV&V). Specifically, we recommend that Education: (1) develop and
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GAO considers a recommendation to be a priority if when implemented, it may significantly improve government
operations, for example, by realizing large dollar savings; eliminating mismanagement, fraud, and abuse; or making
progress toward addressing a high-risk or duplication issue.
