US House passes bill to combat ‘ghost’ federal student aid applicants

The U.S. House passed a bill requiring the Department of Education to implement an identity fraud detection system for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to combat 'ghost students' who fraudulently obtain federal aid using stolen identities. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Burgess Owens, aims to ensure aid is allocated to legitimate applicants and includes provisions for audits and reporting to Congress.