119th Congress Education
S. 4428: No Aid for Ghost Students Act of 2026
Introduced
- Introduced (completed)
- Passed Senate (not reached)
- Passed House (not reached)
- To the President (not reached)
- Became law (not reached)
Summary
This bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to establish an identity fraud detection system for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Beginning on October 1, 2026, ED must use an identity fraud detection system to review each submitted application to determine whether the applicant presents a reasonable suspicion of identity fraud. If ED makes such a determination, it must notify the applicant and each institution of higher education (IHE) designated on the application that the applicant is subject to additional identity verification.
An IHE may not disburse federal financial aid to an applicant that presents a reasonable suspicion of fraud unless the IHE verifies the applicant's identity in person or by live video. If the applicant's identity is confirmed, the IHE must notify ED that the applicant's identity has been verified.
Read the full summary
ED must establish guidelines for the identity verification procedures conducted by IHEs.
(On April 26, 2026, ED began implementing a real-time identity fraud detection process within the FAFSA form that places applicants into one of four risk categories. High-risk applicants must confirm their identity by presenting documentation during the online application process, including via a live camera process. Applicants who are rejected via this automated process must then have their identity verified in person by IHEs.)
Written by the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.
Roll calls
No roll call votes have been held on this bill.
Amendments
No amendments were offered to this bill.
Cosponsors
- Margaret Hassan D-NHOriginal
- Tommy Tuberville R-ALOriginal
- Roger Marshall R-KS
- Jim Banks R-IN
- Alan Armstrong R-OK
Who scored on this bill
- 1Ashley Moody SponsorDrew cross-party cosponsors, introduced2 events+6
See all scorers and every scoring event
Introductions and cosponsorships count toward weekly caps and show no points.
Other bills by Ashley Moody
History
- Introduced in the Senate by Ashley Moody.
Show the full action history (2 actions)
- Introduced in Senate
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.