Education Dept vows 'full scale' review of financial aid office after delays for college students

The Education Department say it will conduct a “full-scale review" of its Federal Student Aid office after months of delays and errors with it's revamped, online student financial aid application. 

The revised Free Application for Federal Student Aid form, known as FAFSA, had a botched rollout that left college students and prospective one unsure they would be able to get the financial assistance they needed, respectively, to continue or attend college. 

In a letter to staff members Thursday, Secretary Miguel Cardona said the review will include FSA’s current and historical organization, management, staffing, workflow structures, business processes, and operations as well as vendor contracts, according to NBC News. 

The agency is also bringing on a team of information technology experts to help with FAFSA next year.

“For half a century, Federal Student Aid (FSA) has helped millions of Americans access higher education,” Cardona wrote in the letter, obtained by the news outlet. “FSA maintains the same mission. But like any organization, its methods and scope of work have changed dramatically over time, and the environment where it now operates is continuously evolving.”