The Trump administration has stopped more than $1 billion in federal student aid fraud since January, the Department of Education announced Thursday.
The department presented the announcement as an early Christmas gift to American taxpayers.
“American citizens have to present an ID to purchase a ticket to travel or to rent a car – it’s only right that they should present an ID to access tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars to fund their education,” Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement.
“From day one, the Trump Administration has been committed to rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse across the federal government,” she added. “As a result, $1 billion in taxpayer funds will now support students pursuing the American dream, rather than falling into the hands of criminals. Merry Christmas, taxpayers!”
Federal student aid fraud is often committed by international fraud rings and artificial intelligence bots pretending to be students, the department said. Colleges and universities requested help from the Trump administration against said fraudsters this year.
In its press release, the Department of Education took aim at the Biden administration for deprioritizing fraud prevention measures to “carry out its illegal student loan bailout and other misguided policies.”
The department launched a nationwide initiative in June to verify identities in order to root out theft and fraud within federal student aid programs for the fall semester.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT TO END BIDEN-ERA SAVE STUDENT LOAN PLAN
Aside from student aid fraud, the Trump administration has taken steps to reverse the preceding administration’s student loan forgiveness agenda.
The department ended the Biden-era Saving on a Valuable Education Plan, more commonly known as the SAVE Plan, in partnership with Missouri’s attorney general, this week. The student loan forgiveness plan previously benefited more than 7 million student borrowers. Borrowers are now set to pay their loans under the new proposed settlement agreement between the federal government and Missouri. The agreement still needs court approval.
