US House passes bill to combat ‘ghost’ federal student aid applicants

By: Shauneen Miranda

Outlets: DC Bureau (States Newsroom)

Published: June 10, 2026

Words: 583

Last Updated: 1 day, 8 hours ago

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WASHINGTON — A bill to crack down on financial aid fraud passed the U.S. House on Wednesday.

The measure, which passed 249-172, would require the U.S. Department of Education to set up an identity fraud detection system for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, better known as FAFSA.

Nearly 40 Democrats voted for the GOP-led bill.

The bill safeguards against fraudulent “ghost students,” which lawmakers say have cost taxpayers millions of dollars by applying …

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