The Education Department added a “lower earnings” disclosure to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), showing first‑year undergraduates a warning when selected colleges have median graduate pay at or below their state’s high‑school median. Secretary Linda McMahon framed the change as a transparency tool to help families weigh outcomes before taking on federal loans. The notice appears as a yellow box after students list colleges on the FAFSA and links to College Scorecard data comparing median earnings four years after graduation against state or national high‑school medians. The indicator does not change institutions’ eligibility for federal aid; officials say it is intended to inform, not restrict, student choices.