The Department of Education in 2017 accused Frank of violating its trademark on FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, a form completed by aspiring college students and their families to determine eligibility for various grants and loans. The Department stated in a cease and desist letter that Frank could be misleading applicants looking for the government's official FAFSA website.
Frank had no official affiliation with the Department of Education, however, and was not recognized as a designated "FAFSA preparer," according to records viewed by Insider. Frank settled with the Department of Education in 2018.
Javice and Frank have come under scrutiny after the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that financial giant JP Morgan Chase, which acquired Frank in 2021, was
suing Javice for inventing millions of fake customers to justify the bank's $175 million acquisition of the startup.