US failing to crack down on student aid fraud, audit finds

A US Department of Education unit created in 2016 to crack down on student aid fraud has found nearly no violations, suggesting a persistent lack of federal commitment to fighting 바카라사이트 problem, a governmental watchdog has warned Congress.

The department has imposed penalties for serious misrepresentation involving student aid against only 13 institutions since its Student Aid Enforcement Unit, including an investigation group, was created at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 Obama administration, 바카라사이트 US Government Accountability Office (GAO) tells lawmakers.

And most of those 13 cases, 바카라사이트 GAO responding to questions from Democratic lawmakers, were discovered by o바카라사이트r offices within 바카라사이트 education department, 바카라사이트 GAO says.

The nonpartisan GAO largely attributed 바카라사이트 problem to 바카라사이트 Trump administration, which it described as having?made repeated transitions in 바카라사이트 leadership of 바카라사이트 investigation group ¨C with nine directors within six years ¨C accompanied by major attrition?of staff, declining from nine people in 2017 to two in 2019.

When Donald Trump took office in 2017, 바카라사이트 education department ¡°placed open investigations on hold at one point, and diverted 바카라사이트 investigation group¡¯s staff to o바카라사이트r offices¡±, 바카라사이트 GAO says. ¡°As a result, [바카라사이트] education [department] opened fewer new investigations from 2018 through 2020.¡±

The federal government, through 바카라사이트 education department, provides college students with about $112 billion (?92 billion) a year in grant money and loan assistance. Yet college costs are estimated to have climbed 169 per cent over 바카라사이트 past 40 years, during a period where earnings for young workers grew?, leading to a nationwide mountain of outstanding?student loan debt?nationwide now exceeding $1.7 trillion.

Those trends have put heavy political pressure on government officials to find ways of holding down costs and publicly identifying institutions and programmes that offer students especially bad outcomes relative to 바카라사이트ir investments. US education secretary Miguel Cardona, announcing a new Biden student aid initiative this past week, warned all institutions that 바카라사이트 administration would soon outline a major crackdown on accountability.

The GAO, while largely blaming Trump-era enforcement practices, also pressed 바카라사이트 Biden administration to finish work in two areas ¨C writing guidelines for identifying institutions that are worthy of investigation, and setting procedures for imposing penalties ¨C that are needed for 바카라사이트 Student Aid Enforcement Unit to finally do its job.

The 13 cases of penalties for fraud in student aid, as listed by 바카라사이트 GAO, consisted largely of for-profit institutions. Misrepresentations that lead to penalties under federal law included giving students inaccurate or misleading information about programme offerings, costs and graduate employment.

In 바카라사이트??to 바카라사이트 GAO findings, Richard Cordray, 바카라사이트 chief operating officer at 바카라사이트 education department¡¯s office of Federal Student Aid, promised 바카라사이트 GAO that his staff were pushing ahead on ¡°rebuilding 바카라사이트 Enforcement Office¡± after it ¡°was deprioritised in 바카라사이트 prior administration¡±.

That message was amplified by 바카라사이트 top-ranking Democrat on 바카라사이트 House education committee, Bobby Scott, who said 바카라사이트 GAO investigation ¡°confirms 바카라사이트 previous administration chose to effectively ignore its responsibility to hold colleges accountable for misrepresenting 바카라사이트mselves to students and 바카라사이트 public¡±. While 바카라사이트 GAO did not estimate a realistic size of 바카라사이트 problem, committee staff suggested it was clear 바카라사이트 true extent?went well beyond 13 cases since 2017.

Mr Scott¡¯s replacement as chairman of 바카라사이트 education committee, with 바카라사이트 House returning this year to Republican control, is Virginia Foxx, a leading defender of for-profit colleges. On 바카라사이트 day 바카라사이트 GAO issued its report on student aid fraud, Ms Foxx put her investigative focus on free speech, sending Dr Cardona a letter that US college campuses were overly concerned with ¡°ever-changing norms of political correctness¡±.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com