Dear Mr. Secretary:
Thank you for your response to my letter of Feb. 3, 2014, and for having Department officials meet with my staff on February 12 regarding my investigation of 111 higher education institutions that may have been contravening the requirements of the Higher Education Act by explicitly requiring applicants to submit forms other than the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or by failing to make clear that only the FAFSA is required to be considered for federal student aid.
I am writing to inform you that, in the month since I sent my letter, it appears that all 111 of the institutions identified in my investigation have made changes to their websites to clarify their requirements for student aid applications and to ensure that they are in compliance with the law. I am enclosing the list of these schools for your review.
I believe that this is a very positive outcome. The changes made by these institutions demonstrate a commitment to ensuring that students receive appropriate instructions when applying for financial aid, and I continue to hope that, with your ongoing assistance, these institutions will continue to make strides in improving the process for applying for and receiving federal student aid. I appreciate the assistance of the Department of Education and look forward to further collaboration to work towards our shared goal of improving access to a high quality education for all Americans.
Sincerely,
Elijah E. Cummings
Ranking Member
cc: The Honorable Darrell E. Issa, Chairman
