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Federal Student Loans: Education Could Better Coordinate with Servicers When Making Program Changes
GAO-26-107780
Aug 06, 2026
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Education The Secretary of Education should ensure that Federal Student Aid develops and implements formal criteria for determining when to conduct early coordination with servicers. For example, when dealing with complex changes or tight time frames, Education could consider if early coordination with servicers could ease implementation challenges. (Recommendation 1)
Open
Education disagreed with this recommendation. Education stated that establishing such criteria would be detrimental to the agency and servicers' ability to implement changes in a timely and efficient manner while also being responsive to dynamic administration priorities. The agency also stated that establishing formal criteria would create challenges and risks that could negatively impact the agency and servicers. GAO believes, however, that having formal criteria for early coordination would help Education ensure servicers have the information they need to implement changes in a timely and efficient manner, while providing needed flexibility to respond to changing circumstances. Using such criteria would positively impact Education and servicers. We will monitor the agency's efforts.

Head Start: Office of Head Start Could Improve Communication with Tribal Programs
GAO-26-107775
May 13, 2026
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Health and Human Services The Secretary of HHS should ensure OHS identifies and addresses the causes of challenges in the timeliness and consistency of its communication with Tribal Head Start programs related to improving enrollment. (Recommendation 1)
Open
HHS agreed with this recommendation. HHS said OHS would assess current communication practices and implement standardized procedures to improve timeliness, consistency, and clarity in its engagement with Tribal Head Start programs. OHS recognizes that enrollment remains an ongoing challenge for Tribal Head Start programs, with factors including workforce shortages and transportation limitations, and would incorporate these considerations into its efforts. We will monitor the agency's progress to address this recommendation.

Mariner Training: Maritime Administration Should Share More Information About Financial Aid and Careers
GAO-26-108184
May 07, 2026
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4 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Maritime Administration The Administrator of the Maritime Administration should leverage the CMTS to identify options to help institutions that offer mariner training address challenges in accessing federal aid programs, including institutions with USCG-approved courses. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Maritime Administration The Administrator of the Maritime Administration should request that CMTS include information about federal financial aid for mariner training in the Federal Funding Handbook. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Maritime Administration The Administrator of the Maritime Administration should identify and use targeted approaches to help raise awareness of the available federal financial aid for mariner training provided through the Departments of Education, Labor, and Veterans Affairs. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Maritime Administration The Administrator of the Maritime Administration should identify and use targeted approaches, such as social media efforts, to help raise awareness of maritime careers, including raising awareness on the various types of mariner occupations and training pathways. (Recommendation 4)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Federal Student Loans: Education Needs to Address Gaps in Servicer Oversight
GAO-26-108534
Mar 11, 2026
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Education The Secretary of Education should ensure that FSA assesses servicer accuracy and call quality. (Recommendation 1)
Open
Education disagreed with this recommendation, asserting that the servicer accuracy and call quality metrics do not meaningfully measure servicers' performance and would not improve the financial health of the federal student loan portfolio. Education described a variety of different tools and methods it uses to monitor and assess it. However, we believe that these tools and methods do not provide a systematic approach that ensures servicers are maintaining accurate records or providing correct information to callers. In addition, Education's monitoring tools do not include mechanisms, such as financial penalties, to hold servicers accountable for accuracy and call quality and ensure the government is not overpaying them for poor performance. We continue to believe that Education should ensure FSA assesses servicer accuracy and call quality.
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