This week in 5 numbers: No answer at the Education Department’s FAFSA call center
Ben Unglesbee
September 27, 2024
We’re rounding up top recent stories, from watchdog reports on the FAFSA debacle to surcharges on students at Arizona State University.
From missed calls at Education Department helplines to charges being passed on to students to make up for state funding shortfalls, here are the top-line figures from some of our biggest stories of the week.
By the numbers
4 million
The number of calls to Education Department call centers that went unanswered between January and May during this year’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid rollout debacle, according to scathing reports and testimony from the Government Accountability Office. GAO said the department had failed to give its vendors accurate forecasts of how many calls to expect.
$350
The approximate surcharge Arizona State University plans to add to tuition for full-time students living on campus. ASU blamed millions in state funding cuts for the extra charge, which is part of other actions being taken to cut costs.
