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

The Trump administration is aggressively expanding staffing at the Federal Student Aid office—a division it has repeatedly targeted for elimination—despite long-standing calls to streamline or dismantle the program. An internal presentation obtained by POLITICO reveals a sharp contrast between the administration’s public rhetoric and its behind-the-scenes efforts to bolster the agency’s workforce. Critics argue the move undermines years of proposals to reduce bureaucracy, while supporters claim the hiring push is necessary to address operational gaps. The contradiction raises questions about the administration’s true priorities regarding student financial aid.

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 ...