FAFSA-Financial Aid
About Federal Student Aid

Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Department of Education, ensures that all eligible individuals can benefit from federally funded financial assistance for education beyond high school. We consistently champion the promise of postsecondary education to all Americans—and its value to our society.

Federal Student Aid plays a central and essential role in supporting postsecondary education by providing money for college to eligible students and families. We partner with postsecondary schools, financial institutions and others to deliver services that help students and families who are paying for college.

Today, Federal Student Aid performs a range of critical functions that include, among others:

Educating students and families on the process of obtaining aid;
Processing millions of student financial aid applications each year;
Disbursing billions of dollars in aid funds to students through schools;
Enforcing financial aid rules and regulations; Servicing millions of student loan accounts, and securing repayment from borrowers who have defaulted on their loans; and Operating information technology systems and tools that manage billions in student aid dollars.

This is a complex, multifaceted mission that calls on a range of staff skills and demands coordination by all levels of management. Consequently, Federal Student Aid, a Performance-Based Organization (PBO), emphasizes tangible results and efficient performance, as well as the
continuous improvement of the processes and systems that support our mission.