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Abbreviation
ED
Agencies
Department of Education
Federal Agency
Yes
Location

United States

What to Report to the OIG Hotline
Violations of Federal laws, rules, and regulations pertaining to U.S. Department of Education programs and funding, including complaints involving U.S. Department of Education employees, recipients of Department of Education funds, schools, school officials, other educational institutions, contractors, lending institutions, collections agencies, or public officials. This includes, but not limited to: • Embezzlement, bribery, or other public corruption involving U.S. Department of Education funds • Serious mismanagement involving U.S. Department of Education programs or funds • Theft or misuse of Federal student aid • Knowledge of fraud, waste, or abuse involving a financial aid administrator or other school official(s) • Knowledge of fraud, waste, or abuse involving a student loan servicer or collection agency • Knowledge that your school is not complying with regulations or laws involving Federal student aid or other U.S. Department of Education program or operation • Whistleblower reprisal (if you are a U.S. Department of Education employee, also report reprisal to the Office of Special Counsel) • Conflicts of interest • Contract and procurement irregularities • Theft or abuse of government property • U.S. Department of Education employee misconduct • Ethics violations by U.S. Department of Education officials • Unauthorized access to U.S. Department of Education Information Technology systems or Information Technology systems that involves administration or disbursement of U.S. Department of Education funds.
What Not to Report to the OIG Hotline
If your complaint or allegation does not involve fraud, waste, theft, mismanagement, public corruption, or abuse involving U.S. Department of Education programs or funds, you may need to contact another U.S. Department of Education office or Federal or State agency for assistance. If your complaint or allegation falls under one of the categories below, please contact the agency or organization listed for assistance. If you have been unable to solve a problem that is not a result of theft or fraud involving your Federal student loan: • Please contact the FSA Ombudsman’s Office at 1-877-557-2575 (TDD - 1-800-848-0983) or https://studentaid.ed.gov/repay-loans/disputes/prepare/contact-ombudsman. The FSA Ombudsman’s Office is a neutral, informal, and confidential resource to help resolve disputes about your Federal student loans. If you have an issue with your private student loan, or another private financial product or service: • Please contact the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at 1-800-411-2372 or http://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/#student-loan. You can submit a complaint about private student loans, which are often issued by a bank, a credit union, your school, or another lending institution. If you believe an improper accounting error occurred on your student loan involving a collection agency or loan service center, or if you disagree with your loan servicer about the balance or status of your student loan: • Please contact the FSA Ombudsman’s Office at 1-877-557-2575 (TDD - 1-800-848-0983) or https://studentaid.ed.gov/repay-loans/disputes/prepare/contact-ombudsman If you require technical assistance regarding your student loan, mediation between your loan servicing center, or problems receiving student loan documents from your loan servicer, disability forms, or loan cancellation: • Please contact the FSA Ombudsman’s Office at 1-877-557-2575 (TDD - 1-800-848-0983) or https://studentaid.ed.gov/repay-loans/disputes/prepare/contact-ombudsman If the Internal Revenue Service has or will offset income tax returns, or if you believe that there has been an improper garnishment of your wages for the repayment of student loans: • Please contact the Office of Debt Collection Services at 1-800-621-3115 (or 1-202-377-3373 or 1-202-377-3374), or find more on what you can do if you defaulted on your student loan repayment here: https://myeddebt.ed.gov/borrower/contactusSubLinks If your school closed or your loan was cancelled as a result of a school closure: • Please contact the FSA Ombudsman’s Office at 1-877-557-2575 (TDD-1-800-8480983) or https://studentaid.ed.gov/repay-loans/disputes/prepare/contact-ombudsman If you have questions concerning the quality of education you received while attending a college, university, or trade school: • Please contact your local Better Business Bureau, the school’s accrediting agency, the State licensing agency, or the State Board of Higher Education. If your complaint involves a Head Start Program: • Please contact the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) OIG at 1-800-424-9121 or https://oig.hhs.gov/ If your complaint involves a school lunch program: • Please contact the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) OIG at http://www.usda.gov/oig/ If your complaint involves discrimination on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity, religion, or sexual preference: • Please contact the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights – 1-800-421-3481 or http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/complaintprocess.html If you are a U.S. Department of Education employee and your complaint involves discrimination on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity, religion or sexual preference: • Please contact the U.S. Department of Education Equal Employment Opportunity Service Office - 1-800-872-5327 or https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/om/fs_po/om/eeo.html If your complaint involves a scholarship scam—someone calling to offer you a scholarship and requesting your bank or credit card account number for a processing fee—do not share any information and immediately • Contact the Federal Trade Commission - 1-877-FTC-HELP or http://www.ftc.gov/scholarshipscams

Barnstead Woman Pleads Guilty to Stealing Over $130,000 from Barnstead and Hampton School Districts

Barnstead Woman Pleads Guilty to Stealing Over $130,000 from Barnstead and Hampton School Districts
Article Type
Investigative Press Release
Publish Date

Barnstead Woman Pleads Guilty to Stealing Over $130,000 from Barnstead and Hampton School Districts CONCORD – Amy Burley, 47, of Barnstead, pleaded guilty in federal court today to embezzling more than $130,000 from both the Barnstead and Hampton School Districts, United States Attorney Jane E,,,

FY 2022 FSA Financial Statement Audit

2023
A22FS0065
Audit
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education

FSA, a principal office of the U.S. Department of Education, is required by law to produce an annual report, which details the organization’s fiscal year financial and program performance. The Federal Student Aid FY 2022 Annual Report (Annual Report) is a comprehensive document that provides an...

FY 2022 ED Financial Statement Audit

2023
A22FS0064
Audit
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education

In accordance with the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010, the Department’s framework for performance management begins with the Strategic Plan, which serves as the foundation for establishing and implementing priorities, highlighting performance goals and objectives, and developing performance...

Lakeland Woman Pleads Guilty to Education Loan Fraud

Lakeland Woman Pleads Guilty to Education Loan Fraud
Article Type
Investigative Press Release
Publish Date

Lakeland Woman Pleads Guilty to Education Loan Fraud Memphis, TN – Kelli L. Pollard, 50, of Lakeland, Tennessee pled guilty to a criminal information, charging her with education loan fraud. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the guilty plea today. According to the charging document and,,,

Former CEO of Los Angeles-Based Anti-Poverty Nonprofit Agrees to Plead Guilty to Embezzling and Misusing Funds and Tax Offense

Former CEO of Los Angeles-Based Anti-Poverty Nonprofit Agrees to Plead Guilty to Embezzling and Misusing Funds and Tax Offense
Article Type
Investigative Press Release
Publish Date

Former CEO of Los Angeles-Based Anti-Poverty Nonprofit Agrees to Plead Guilty to Embezzling and Misusing Funds and Tax Offense LOS ANGELES – The former president and CEO of a Hollywood-based anti-poverty nonprofit agency has agreed to plead guilty to federal criminal charges for embezzling money,,,

University of Cincinnati’s Use of Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Student Aid and Institutional Grants

2023
A20US0045
Audit
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education
Pandemic

Our objective was to determine whether the University of Cincinnati (University) used the Student Aid (Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.425E) and Institutional (ALN 84.425F) portions of its Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) funds for allowable and intended purposes.The University...

Federal Student Aid’s Transition to the Next Generation Loan Servicing Environment

2023
A20GA0035
Audit
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education

The objective of our audit was to determine the extent to which Federal Student Aid (FSA) had processes for planning and managing the transition to the Next Generation (Next Gen) loan servicing environment to achieve the project’s intended outcomes.Although FSA had processes in place for planning...

The Department’s Decision to Terminate Private Collection Agency Contracts

2023
I22DC0067
Inspection / Evaluation
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education

Our objective was to review the U.S. Department of Education’s (Department) decision - making process for terminating its private collection agency (PCA) contracts.The decision to terminate the PCA contracts is part of an ongoing, multiyear Departmental strategy to overhaul student loan servicing...

The Department’s Compliance with Experimental Sites Initiative Reporting Requirements

2023
I22DC0054
Inspection / Evaluation
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education

The objective of our inspection was to determine the U.S. Department of Education’s (Department) compliance with Experimental Sites Initiative (ESI) reporting requirements.We found that the Department is not complying with ESI reporting requirements. The Department has not published a comprehensive...

FY 2023 Management Challenges Facing the U.S. Department of Education

2023
Top Management Challenges
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education

The Government Performance and Results Modernization Act of 2010 defines major management challenges as programs or management functions that are vulnerable to waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement, and where a failure to perform well could seriously affect the ability of the U.S. Department of...

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