"After a series of fits and starts that colleges say has confused the distribution of emergency aid grants to help students dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, the Education Department finally issued an interim formal rule saying undocumented students and millions of others who are not eligible for regular student aid cannot receive the help," Inside Higher Ed reports.

"Justin Draeger, president and CEO of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, called the department’s reasoning 'flimsy.'

'If ED was so concerned about fraud, waste and abuse, why did it give money to schools and then urge them to get that money out quickly, before issuing any guidance or regulation on student eligibility?' he said. 'ED made it clear from the outset that emergency grants could not be applied to outstanding balances at an institution, so there was little chance that schools would just keep the money for themselves.'"

NASFAA's "Notable Headlines" section highlights media coverage of financial aid to help members stay up to date with the latest news. Articles included under the notable headlines section are not written by NASFAA, but rather by external sources. Inclusion in Today's News does not imply endorsement of the material or guarantee the accuracy of information presented.

Publication Date: 6/12/2020