The House passed the No Aid for Ghost Students Act on June 10, 2026, targeting a fraud scheme that has ballooned to alarming proportions in California's community college system, where one in three applicants have been flagged as likely fake. The bill requires the Department of Education to build an identity fraud detection system for FAFSA applicants and withhold aid from anyone who can't verify their identity before funds are disbursed.
For the roughly 13 million Americans who rely on federal student aid each year, supporters say it protects a lifeline; critics say it could turn that lifeline into a bureaucratic obstacle.
The H.R. 7892 floor vote came after a methodical committee process. The bill was introduced on March 12, 2026, marked up by the Education and Workforce Committee on February 14, 2026, and cleared the Rules Committee on May 29, 2026, before reaching the floor. It passed 249–172, with 212 Republicans and 36 Democrats voting yes.
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