10 percent of Federal Student Aid staff take buyouts

One hundred and twenty-four employees at the Office of Federal Student Aid have accepted the Trump administration’s buyout offer, USA Today reported, resulting in a 10 percent reduction in the office’s staff.

FSA oversees all federal student aid programs at the Education Department as well as its nearly $2 trillion student loan portfolio. Last year, department officials said FSA staff shortages were a key factor in the office’s bungled rollout of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

Many of the departing staff worked in the agency’s borrower-defense division, helping support students who were defrauded or misled by colleges, according to USA Today.

More than 75,000 federal employees took the buyout offer, which expired Feb. 12.