November 15, 2011
By Kelly Field
Changes in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid that let applicants import information directly from their federal income-tax returns have reduced Pell Grant overpayments by $300-million since 2010, the White House announced on Tuesday.
The news was part of a broader announcement by the Obama administration that it had cut improper payments by more than $20-billion, largely in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. A statement from the White House attributed the improvements to "more robust audits," new technologies, and better partnerships with states.
Over the last two years, the government wide payment-error rate has fallen from 5.4 percent to 4.7 percent, according to the statement. The administration is on pace to prevent $50-billion in improper payments by 2012, it said.
Allowing students to import tax information into the student-aid form, known as the Fafsa, can reduce the transcription errors that occur when parents and students copy the information by hand. It also eases the process for first-generation students and others unfamiliar with applying for student aid.
Tuesday's announcement came less than a month after the Education Department sent a letter to colleges urging them to help protect the federal student-aid programs from fraud. The department is expected to announce steps that it will take to crack down on "fraud rings" soon.
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