Sen. Elizabeth Warren asked the U.S. Government Accountability Office to investigate whether staff cuts at the U.S. Department of Education reduced the agency’s ability to combat fraud and abuse involving federal student aid. Warren’s letter cites a GAO report that found the Office of Federal Student Aid lost about 46% of employees during mass layoffs. Warren’s concerns center on enforcement capacity, including oversight responsibilities previously handled through compliance audits and investigations into institutions suspected of misleading students about costs or programs. She also flags heightened risk for for-profit colleges as upcoming policy changes could expand Pell eligibility to shorter programs. The inquiry matters because enforcement staffing affects how quickly issues are detected, how often institutions face audits, and how consistently the government can apply compliance standards that protect student aid dollars.