Today, the U.S. Department of Education announced it will launch a nationwide effort to eliminate identity theft and fraud in the federal student aid programs for the fall 2025 semester to protect taxpayers while significantly reducing the administrative burden on colleges and universities. In the interim, the Department will require institutions of higher education to validate the identity of certain first-time applicants who are enrolled in the summer term. Federal Student Aid (FSA) data indicates that the rate of fraud through stolen identities, particularly involving technologically advanced fraud rings, has reached a level that imperils the federal student assistance programs under Title IV of the Higher Education Act.