NASFAA's Off the Cuff Podcast

Author: NASFAA

Hosted by NASFAA staff, this podcast offers an unscripted view of hot financial aid and higher education-related topics. The hosts discuss what's happening inside the Beltway to give you an insider's perspective.
Be a guest on this podcast

Language: en

Genres: Education, News, Politics

Contact email: Get it

Feed URL: Get it

iTunes ID: Get it

Get all podcast data

Listen Now...

OTC Inside the Beltway: Debriefing ED's New FAFSA Fraud Prevention Measures
Thursday, 16 April, 2026

This week on "Off The Cuff," Melanie and Karen are joined by Aaron Lemon-Strauss, the Department of Education's (ED) FAFSA program executive director, to discuss new FAFSA fraud prevention measures announced by the department this week. Aaron kicks off the discussion by explaining the technical details of how these new fraud prevention measures will work in the online FAFSA workflow. He further explains how, starting April 26, ED will screen and assess each FAFSA for fraud risk before it is submitted, along with a one-time screen of previously submitted 2026-27 FAFSAs. Throughout the discussion, Melanie and Karen ask Aaron questions that financial aid offices may have, and relay possible concerns about administrative burden, impact on legitimate students, and more.