Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren and four Democratic colleagues asked Education Secretary Linda McMahon why the Department of Education made it more difficult to file complaints about federal student aid and demanded removal of added steps. The department moved the complaint button from the top to the footer and relabeled it "submit feedback," while saying technical staff were not laid off and remaining complaint staff would still respond. Tests found four additional navigation clicks were required before reaching the complaint form, a change that makes it harder for borrowers to report loan servicer issues. The lawmakers urged streamlining the process and restoring FSA workforce capacity.
ED is covering up its attempts to make [the Office of Federal Student Aid] less responsive to millions of students, families, and borrowers who rely on the agency to lower the cost of attending college and protect them from loan servicer misconduct," the senators wrote. "We urge you to immediately act on our findings by streamlining the 'Submit a Complaint' process and restoring FSA's workforce so borrowers can get the help they need.
But the Democrats say they tested those claims and found the department's reassurances were misleading. Although the department did move and rename the complaint button, it also added a series of four extra navigation clicks that must be made before the user actually reaches the webpage where they can file a complaint. ( Inside Higher Ed checked the website and verified these steps. You can see screenshots of the process below.)
Collection
[
|
...
]