S. 4365 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the Senate, Apr 21, 2026
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryExpands citizenship checks for student aid
Right now, the Department of Education verifies Social Security numbers for students applying for federal student aid. This bill would expand that requirement so the department also verifies citizenship status, and applies those checks to everyone who fills out the FAFSA form—not just students, but also parents, spouses, and other contributors who provide information.
How it affects you
If you're a student or parent applying for federal student aid, you'd go through an expanded verification process with the Department of Education and Social Security Administration. The verification would now include checking your citizenship status along with your Social Security number, which could affect how quickly your application is processed.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, Apr 21, 2026)
FAFSA Verification Efficiency Act
This bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to verify the Social Security number (SSN) and citizenship status of any individual who is required to provide information to ED for federal student aid.
Currently, ED must work with the Social Security Administration (SSA) to verify the SSN of a student who is applying for federal student aid. This bill expands the requirement so that ED must work with the SSA to verify the SSN and citizenship status of any individual who is required to provide information to ED on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, including contributors. A contributor refers to anyone (the student, the student’s spouse, the student's biological or adoptive parent, or a parent’s spouse) who is required to provide information on the FAFSA form.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
2nd SessionS. 4365
A BILL
FAFSA Verification Efficiency Act
Sponsor: Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) · Introduced Apr 21, 2026 · Education · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Apr 21, 2026: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.”