By: James Bergeron, Replacement Under Secretary, U.S. Division of Education; acting Chief Operating Police officer, Federal Pupil Help
This week, the U.S. Government Liability Office (GAO) is expected to launch to Congress a report titled, “Gaps in Federal Pupil Help Agreement Oversight and System Screening Demand Immediate Attention.” The report will certainly consist of a feedback from Federal Pupil Aid (FSA) and I intended to take time to highlight the enhancements transformed the in 2014. It is necessary that we learn the ideal lessons.
I intend to thank our whole Free Application and Federal Student Help (FAFSA ®) team for their job improving the FAFSA kind that will unlock of postsecondary education for trainees and families throughout the nation. Many college stakeholders may not understand that the FAFSA team’s initiatives over the last two years have likewise had to do with assisting chart a far better course for government innovation advancement.
FSA invites GAO’s oversight function on the FAFSA type. Yet, specifically coming out of the messed up rollout in 2024– 25, our company believe this moment demands a wider conversation: just how the federal government can construct, deliver, and preserve innovation that functions accurately at scale.
Oversight Matters, Yet So Does Innovation
The difficulties with the 2024– 25 FAFSA form launch were genuine and came from the previous management’s mismanagement and inadequate interest and preparation for the job that it would require to carry out the FAFSA Simplification Act and FUTURE Act This created complication and delays for pupils, families, establishments, states, and various other stakeholders and exposed much deeper architectural issues in exactly how the FAFSA’s IT system was established, run, and preserved by FSA’s suppliers. Yet ever since, FSA has actually bought technological quality and implementation, and the outcomes and progress are clear.
The Trump Administration generated technological leaders from the economic sector, who have knowledge in structure large electronic products, and equipped them to essentially alter just how FSA delivers innovation:
- Structure in-house expertise , so we can directly oversee core systems and make faster, much more informed decisions.
- Changing to a product-based delivery model , that allows fast model, continuous renovation, and direct feedback from customers.
- Restructuring vendor contracts to sustain active, sprint-based advancement, so fixes, attributes, and improvements reach individuals faster.
These are tested finest techniques in the private sector and are progressively recognized as essential for public-sector success. These changes are essential if FSA wants to supply solutions that are trusted, user-centered, and versatile.
Why We Are Pressing Back
We anticipate that GAO’s suggestions will certainly lean on a conventional, linear project-management design– one that thinks FSA can and must write agreement requirements years in advance and after that implement them without consistent adjustment. This version was at the forefront of federal government modernization initiatives– 15 years earlier. However IT systems and software, specifically at the range and complexity of the FAFSA type, do not work by doing this anymore.
At the scale and complexity of the FAFSA kind, success originates from continuous improvement, technological ownership, and styles that progress based on user needs. Our reaction presses back because we believe it’s essential to straighten oversight and liability that mirrors just how contemporary innovation is built. Otherwise, FSA dangers reinforcing the really obsolete patterns that contributed to past failures.
The FAFSA Form is Getting Better– Therefore Are We
The progress to deal with the previous difficulties and successfully roll out the 2025– 26 FAFSA type is measurable:
- Greater than 14 million trainees have already submitted a 2025– 26 FAFSA form– a boost of more than 11 % from this time in 2014.
- Trainee contentment is strong, and direct feedback is forming continuous enhancements.
- The FSA Contact Centers are staffed up and all set to deal with any type of calls and concerns from pupils, families, establishments, and companions.
- New sources like FAFSA Central and the forthcoming schedule of the FAFSA Sneak peek Presentation are making it much easier for stakeholders to comprehend the procedure, get answers promptly, and plan for the upcoming cycle with self-confidence.
The takeaway is clear: FSA is heading toward a FAFSA system that’s even more receptive, resilient, and centered on pupils and households.
There’s more job in advance, however the group is revealing what’s possible when public slaves– empowered by exclusive practices– are trusted and equipped to supply modern technology properly.
We’re thankful for GAO’s role in assisting us reflect and improve on the FAFSA kind. We hope our reaction adds to a growing discussion regarding building government technology that’s quicker, smarter, and better for individuals we offer.
James Bergeron is the Division’s Deputy Under Assistant and acting Federal Trainee Help Chief Operating Police Officer. He is a honored College of Louisiana at Lafayette alum, and a first-generation college student.