House Republicans advanced legislation that would require the U.S. Department of Education to screen federal financial aid applicants for identity fraud, passing the bill 249–172. The measure—called the No Aid for Ghost Students Act—largely codifies the verification approach the Education Department rolled out in April. Under the system, applicants flagged as high fraud risk must present government-issued IDs before receiving federal financial aid. The bill is aimed at scams in which fraudsters submit false identities to capture financial aid, often in community-college-heavy fraud patterns. Advocates point to data showing significant losses and disbursements to fake students; opponents and critics typically raise concerns about administrative burden and whether verification should be implemented more broadly. If the Senate follows, the program could harden FAFSA compliance requirements that campuses must operationalize, affecting processing time, verification workflows, and institution-level reporting responsibilities.