Denise Carter joined the Federal Student Aid (FSA) leadership team in May 2024 as FSA’s principal deputy chief operating officer and became the acting chief operating officer in July 2024. In these roles, Carter leads efforts to modernize FSA’s structure and management and ensure that FSA delivers on its mission serve students, parents, borrowers, taxpayers, and the institutions and partners that are critical to delivering federal student aid. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, FSA provided nearly $121 billion in federal student grants, loans, and work-study funds to nearly 10 million students at approximately 5,400 colleges and career schools. At the end of FY 2024, more than 45 million borrowers held more than $1.6 trillion in federal student loans.
Since joining FSA, Carter has taken immediate steps to improve how FSA manages internal business processes and enterprise-wide initiatives critical to FSA’s mission. She has bolstered hiring for key areas of expertise to support the launch of the 2025–26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA® form) and is leading FSA’s reorganization efforts.
Carter brings a wealth of strategic leadership to her current role. Most recently, she served as the acting assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Education (Department) Office of Finance and Operations (OFO). In OFO, Carter led a broad operational portfolio that included oversight of the Department’s management of finance, financial systems, acquisitions, grants, security, and real property, as well as human resources, and the adjudication of education appeals. Prior to joining the Department, Carter served in multiple roles for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including the deputy assistant secretary for human resources and the chief human capital officer; there, she was responsible for leadership, guidance, and services to more than 90,000 professionals.
Carter will serve as FSA’s acting chief operating officer while the Department conducts a national search for the office’s new leader. As the acting chief, Carter leads FSA’s implementation of major priority initiatives. In addition to stepping in to shepherd the 2025–26 FAFSA launch, Carter leads ongoing work to ensure that millions of borrowers have the resources and support they need now that they have returned to repayment after a pause that lasted more than three years. Carter also directs FSA’s work to expand access to federal student aid, hold schools accountable for putting students’ interests first, drive information technology innovations, and improve acquisition management strategies.
Carter has spent more than 30 years supporting and leading federal operations and has received Meritorious Presidential Rank Awards in recognition of her achievements at the Department and HHS.