OIG Report: Education Department Cut 40% Of Staff, Gutting Student Loan Oversight

The Department of Education's Office of Inspector General has put hard numbers on the Trump administration's push to dismantle the agency, and the findings for Federal Student Aid are stark: entire sub-offices responsible for overseeing loan servicers and certifying schools for federal aid were left with no employees at all.

The report lands as the Department reverses course. FSA is now hiring roughly 380 workers back and held a two-day hiring fair in Washington, D.C. on July 21 and 22 to fill more than 100 open roles.

The flash report covers changes to ED's staffing, operations, contracts, and grants between January 20 and March 31, 2025 - the window that opened with two executive orders directing agencies to prepare for large-scale reductions in force.