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FAFSA wasn't impacted by Trump administration's federal grant freeze | Fact check
The claim: Trump administration's federal grant freeze would have affected FAFSA
A Jan. 28 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) includes a screenshot of an article about the Trump administration's freeze on federal grant funding.
“Rip FAFSA,” reads the post, referring to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, which is a form students can use to apply for federal financial aid.
It received more than 5,000 likes in a day. Another version of the claim spread widely on X.
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Our rating: False
Both the Department of Education and the White House said federal direct student loans were unaffected by the order, which was rescinded on Jan. 29.
Student loans 'explicitly excluded' from freeze, White House says
The claim came amid confusion over a Jan. 27 Office of Management and Budget memo that said federal funding for grants, loans and other programs would be frozen while officials reviewed whether recipients were using the funding in ways consistent with the law and the Trump administration’s priorities. The freeze was set to start on Jan. 28, but a federal judge blocked it from going into effect until at least Feb. 3, as USA TODAY reported.
The Trump administration then rescinded the freeze on Jan. 29.
But even if the freeze had gone into effect, it would not have impacted FAFSA or federal student aid, such as direct student loans and Pell Grants, according to the FAFSA website.
“We continue to award and disburse federal student aid,” reads the statement, which was issued before the order was rescinded.
Fact check: No, Trump did not call for taking away child support recipients' tax credits
A Jan. 28 White House memo further said programs that give direct benefits to individuals were "explicitly excluded from the pause." That guidance was reiterated by the Department of Education, as USA TODAY reported.
USA TODAY has debunked an array of claims related to President Donald Trump’s second administration, including false assertions that members of Congress filed impeachment articles over Trump’s Jan. 6 pardons, that a police union rescinded its endorsement of Trump over the Jan. 6 pardons and that an order by Trump cut federal funding for cities that “promote, support or otherwise encourage LGBTQ activism.”
USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Our fact-check sources
Federal Student Aid, accessed Jan. 29, Federal Student Aid Funds Not Frozen
The White House, Jan. 28, OMB Q&A Regarding Memorandum M-25-13
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: FAFSA not affected by Trump's federal grant freeze | Fact check