Department of Education employees received more than $5.7 million in bonuses in the 2003 calendar year. The amounts ranged from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands for some employees. Below are the top 10 bonus recipients last year.
| Name | Position | Bonus |
| Theresa S. Shaw | chief operating officer, Office of Federal Student Aid | $71,250 |
| Steven Y. Winnick | deputy general counsel | 46,900 |
| Thomas P. Skelly | director of budget services | 46,900 |
| Debra D. Wiley | ombudsman, Federal Student Aid | 35,104* |
| Calvin D. Thomas | general manager for workforce-support services, Federal Student Aid | 30,294* |
| Susan K. Thares | external-events director, Federal Student Aid | 32,891* |
| Gerald T. Schubert Jr. | chief information officer, Federal Student Aid | 28,500 |
| John P. Higgins | inspector general | 26,800 |
| Philip Link | executive secretariat director | 26,800 |
| Veronica D. Trietsch | director of human-resources services | 26,760 |
*Two bonuses
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education