Education Department launches hiring spree in key office, roughly a year after mass layoffs

The Trump administration is aggressively expanding hiring at the Federal Student Aid office—a division it has repeatedly targeted for elimination—despite pledges to streamline or dismantle the program. An internal presentation obtained by POLITICO reveals a sharp contrast between rhetoric and action, with the agency ramping up staffing just as officials push for major restructuring. Critics question whether the push to cut bureaucracy aligns with the sudden need for more personnel, raising concerns over efficiency and long-term funding. The move underscores ongoing tensions within the Education Department over how to handle student financial aid amid broader policy shifts.

The Trump administration has launched a hiring blitz at the agency it vowed to eliminate, according to an internal presentation reviewed by POLITICO. The Education Department’s Federal Student Aid ...