The House on Wednesday passed a Republican-backed measure requiring the U.S. Department of Education to screen federal financial aid applicants for potential identity fraud, an effort tied to reports of scammers using fake identities to steal aid through enrollments at institutions such as community colleges. The bill, the No Aid for Ghost Students Act, passed 249–172. The measure largely codifies a fraud detection system the Department launched in April. Under that framework, applicants flagged as high-risk must present government-issued IDs before receiving federal aid. The Education Department’s system also includes flagging tens of thousands of students for verification and training for identification of potential fraudsters. EdSource documents cited in the coverage put the California Community Colleges system’s losses tied to fake students at $30 million since 2024, with more than $1.9 million disbursed to fake students in the first quarter of 2026. Proponents say the law will make the protections permanent and reduce gaming of the FAFSA process.