View in EDS

Staffing Changes at the U.S. Department of Education in 2025: What the Federal Workforce Data Suggests for Financial Aid Administration

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Staffing Changes at the U.S. Department of Education in 2025: What the Federal Workforce Data Suggests for Financial Aid Administration
Language: English
Authors: National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA)
Source: National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. 2026.
Availability: National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. 1101 Connecticut Avenue NW Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 202-785-0453; Fax: 202-785-1487; e-mail: membership@NASFAA.org; Web site: http://www.nasfaa.org
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 11
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Reports - Research
Numerical/Quantitative Data
Descriptors: Public Agencies, Federal Government, Government Employees, Job Layoff, Student Financial Aid, Federal Aid, Labor Force, Student Financial Aid Officers, Individual Characteristics, Educational Attainment
Abstract: In March 2025, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) initiated a reduction-in-force (RIF), alongside broader federal actions and proposals that signaled major potential changes to ED's staffing and operations. During the same period, ED staffing levels and capacity were also shaped by other dynamics beyond RIFs, including the transition to a new presidential administration and ED leadership in January 2025, the government-wide federal hiring freeze issued on January 20, 2025, voluntary departures, including resignations and retirements; participation in OPM's Deferred Resignation Program (DRP), and subsequent operational shifts such as regional office closures and the reallocation of certain ED functions through interagency agreements. In response, NASFAA conducted two membership surveys to understand how these developments affected institutional operations, staffing, and student service. To complement our member-reported impacts, NASFAA's Research Department analyzed U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) workforce data to examine net changes in ED headcount and workforce composition between December 2024 and December 2025, and to consider how staffing shifts at ED may affect members in both the near and long term. This report utilizes findings from that analysis and the OPM Workforce Changes Dashboard, covering January 20, 2025-December 2025.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: ED680041
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
CustomLinks:
  – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED680041
    Name: ERIC Full Text
    Category: fullText
    Text: Full Text from ERIC
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: ED680041
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Report
PubTypeId: report
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Staffing Changes at the U.S. Department of Education in 2025: What the Federal Workforce Data Suggests for Financial Aid Administration
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22National+Association+of+Student+Financial+Aid+Administrators+%28NASFAA%29%22">National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA)</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22National+Association+of+Student+Financial+Aid+Administrators%22"><i>National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators</i></searchLink>. 2026.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. 1101 Connecticut Avenue NW Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 202-785-0453; Fax: 202-785-1487; e-mail: membership@NASFAA.org; Web site: http://www.nasfaa.org
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: N
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 11
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Reports - Research<br />Numerical/Quantitative Data
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Public+Agencies%22">Public Agencies</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Federal+Government%22">Federal Government</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Government+Employees%22">Government Employees</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Job+Layoff%22">Job Layoff</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Financial+Aid%22">Student Financial Aid</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Federal+Aid%22">Federal Aid</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Labor+Force%22">Labor Force</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Financial+Aid+Officers%22">Student Financial Aid Officers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Individual+Characteristics%22">Individual Characteristics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Attainment%22">Educational Attainment</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: In March 2025, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) initiated a reduction-in-force (RIF), alongside broader federal actions and proposals that signaled major potential changes to ED's staffing and operations. During the same period, ED staffing levels and capacity were also shaped by other dynamics beyond RIFs, including the transition to a new presidential administration and ED leadership in January 2025, the government-wide federal hiring freeze issued on January 20, 2025, voluntary departures, including resignations and retirements; participation in OPM's Deferred Resignation Program (DRP), and subsequent operational shifts such as regional office closures and the reallocation of certain ED functions through interagency agreements. In response, NASFAA conducted two membership surveys to understand how these developments affected institutional operations, staffing, and student service. To complement our member-reported impacts, NASFAA's Research Department analyzed U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) workforce data to examine net changes in ED headcount and workforce composition between December 2024 and December 2025, and to consider how staffing shifts at ED may affect members in both the near and long term. This report utilizes findings from that analysis and the OPM Workforce Changes Dashboard, covering January 20, 2025-December 2025.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: ED680041
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=ED680041
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 11
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Public Agencies
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Federal Government
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Government Employees
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Job Layoff
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Financial Aid
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Federal Aid
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Labor Force
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Financial Aid Officers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Individual Characteristics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Attainment
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Staffing Changes at the U.S. Department of Education in 2025: What the Federal Workforce Data Suggests for Financial Aid Administration
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA)
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 03
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators
              Type: main
ResultId 1