July 2025 National Survey of Financial Aid Professionals
Survey
Aug. 2025
Sample Size:
549
Demographics:
administrators
Topics:
Student Support
Funding
Top Findings:
- Institutional concern remains focused on student impact: In both the May and July surveys, 48% of institutions ranked “impacts on students’ access to federal student aid” as their top concern, far ahead of compliance or administrative issues. Student-facing risks remain the dominant institutional worry.
- Federal support channels for students are breaking down: 53% of institutions reported issues with federal call centers; 47% cited problems with the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS); and 36% flagged disruptions with student loan servicing. These failures affect students’ ability to get accurate information or resolve aid issues in real time.
- Student confusion and concern are growing: 51% of institutions said students are reporting receiving confusing or delayed information from ED or FSA. One-third of institutions reported that students have directly expressed concern or frustration, especially related to FAFSA processing and aid eligibility.
- Aid office support structures remain weakened: 43% of institutions confirmed that their FSA regional office has closed, and 39% said there are now gaps in support that those offices used to fill. Many institutions said they no longer know who to contact at FSA for routine issues.
- Staffing and workload pressures continue to rise. Nearly one-quarter of institutions reported deferring tasks or redistributing responsibilities due to the RIF. With fewer federal staff available to resolve issues, institutional staff have had to take on added troubleshooting, repeated follow-up, and administrative workarounds, taking time away from direct service to students.