The Department of Education should give a break to financial aid applicants after an automated IRS data tool was shut down more than a week ago, say the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators and several other college access groups.

In a letter to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and Federal Student Aid Chief Operating Officer Jim Runcie Tuesday, NASFAA President and CEO Justin Draeger wrote that the administrative burden from the shutdown of the data retrieval tool "could lead to delays and backlogs for students." To smooth the financial aid process, NASFAA and the other organizations called on the department to:

Update federal websites to reflect the current availability of the tool

Allow signed copies of tax returns in place of IRS tax transcripts to satisfy verification requirements for financial aid applicants

Revise selection criteria for verification checks

Expand the tolerance for conflicting information from use of prior-prior year income data

The National College Access Network, the National Association for College Admission Counseling and the Institute for College Access and Success also signed the letter.

The data retrieval tool was introduced to help cut down on verification checks on income information that can slow the awarding of financial aid packages and become an obstacle to low-income students receiving aid. The letter also raised the importance of the tool for borrowers seeking to enroll in income-driven repayment plans.

Draeger acknowledged the security concerns that apparently led to the shutdown of the data tool while calling for more transparency on the shutdown -- an issue that went on for days without any announcement from the Education Department or the IRS.

"This lack of communication is unacceptable, especially in the middle of the financial aid application season," he wrote.