A lawsuit filed by the University of California Student Association against the U.S. The Department of Education aims to prevent the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing student financial data.
Fresno State students have expressed concern over the potential access to their financial information.
DOGE—a White House office created by an executive order from President Donald Trump—is being run by Tesla billionaire Elon Musk along with a small group of employees. The office now has full access to the Department of Education’s data systems.
This access allows them to analyze information that could potentially include sensitive student loan and financial aid data, such as Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) records, from millions of students across the United States.
This news shocked Crislyn Jacobs, a women’s, gender and sexuality studies student at Fresno State.
“That’s absurd! He’s not even [elected] in office,” Jacobs said. “That’s our personal information, our Social Security numbers, all that—and he has access to it?”
Jacobs is among the 78% of Fresno State students who receive financial aid through grants, making her concerned about the security of her and her parents’ private financial information.
Currently, Musk and his DOGE team do not have congressional approval to access sensitive government data and are being sued by 14 state attorneys generals for that reason.
This concern about DOGE’s unapproved access to sensitive data is also shared by Alvaro Cortez, a pre-business major at Fresno State who relies on FAFSA for tuition. Cortez believes that DOGE’s access to student financial data could be a security threat.
“I feel like It’ll be a national security threat, because a lot of people use FAFSA,” Cortez said.
When asked whether Fresno State or the California State University (CSU) should step in, Cortez said the university should take a stance. He hopes that even if the lawsuit is unsuccessful, the CSU should put public pressure on the government to “stop Musk” from accessing student financial data.
Delilah Lozano, a pre-veterinary major at Fresno State, also believes the CSU system should take action. Lozano said the situation jeopardizes students who rely on FAFSA, emphasizing the difference between public and private institutions and advocating for the CSU system to take a stronger stance, similar to that of the University of California.
“It definitely puts a lot of students that either get FAFSA or Apply for FAFSA at risk,” Lozano said. “We’re not a private, we’re a public university. I think if a UC can do it, a CSU should be able to do it.”
Most of the four interviewed by The Collegian said they wanted some form of action from the CSU or Fresno State.
Fresno State’s public information officer, Lisa Bell, speaking on behalf of the California State University, emphasized the institution’s ongoing attention to recent executive orders and their potential impact.
“The CSU is closely monitoring all new executive orders, related developments, and their potential implications,” Bell said in a statement provided to The Collegian. “We are committed to the wellness, safety, and privacy of our students, faculty and staff, and to fostering a supportive and caring environment for all.”
John Memley, a music education major at Fresno State, was unaware that DOGE had access to student financial aid data but wants to see how the situation unfolds and how it will affect him as a Fresno State student. Memley said he feels uncomfortable with the idea of DOGE having access to his financial data but wants to clarify the information on his own before jumping to conclusions.
Memley added that while he finds it strange that DOGE would have access to his financial information, he believes data should be protected.
“I’d wanna know the purpose behind this,” Memley said “I feel that my funds, as a college student, should be kept safe.”
On Feb. 18, a judge in Washington declined to grant a block requested by 14 state attorneys general. Allowing DOGE to access data from seven federal agencies, including the Department of Education, leaving millions of students’ financial data in limbo.
