Warren, 27 Senators Push for Full Funding to the Office of Federal Student Aid As Trump Admin Works To Dismantle Education Department

FSA is the largest provider of student financial aid in the nation and oversees a $1.6 trillion student loan program.
“Congress has a responsibility to pass laws and appropriate funding to support agencies that help the American people.”
Text of Letter (PDF)
Washington, D.C. –U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and 27 members of the U.S. Senate sent a letter to Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, and Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, urging them to provide “the highest possible amount of funding” to the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) in fiscal year (FY) 2026.
“Increasing funding for FSA this fiscal year is particularly critical given that FSA’s funding has been stagnant for the past three fiscal years, severely undermining FSA’s ability to implement critical programs,”said the senators. “These challenges have been worsened by the Trump Administration’s illegal attack on the Department, including drastic cuts to its workforce and proposed outsourcing of ED responsibilities to other agencies.”
FSA is the largest provider of student financial aid in the nation, serving over 46 million people and overseeing a $1.6 trillion student loan program. While FSA improved the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2025–2026 school year, it is vital that FSA have the necessary staff and funding to ensure that students and families experience a smooth and stress-free process while applying for financial aid.
“The lack of adequate resources creates more barriers for students to start and continue their education,”the senators continued.
FSA is also managing the return to repayment for student loan borrowers whose payments were paused during the pandemic, which has been made more difficult by the Trump Administration's cuts.
“FSA’s responsibilities have increased to protect students and borrowers, but its federal funding has remained stagnant. The lack of adequate resources creates more barriers for students to start and continue their education,”concluded the senators. “We believe this funding request is needed to provide FSA with the resources it needs to fulfill its goal of ensuring that all eligible students and families can access federal student grants, loans, and work-study funds to pursue education and training beyond high school.
The list of signers include: Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.).
Senator Warren launched theSave Our Schoolscampaign in a coordinated effort to fight back against President Trump’s attempts to abolish the Department of Education:
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