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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

Joint Operation Targets Massive Dogfighting Conspiracy

Joint Operation Targets Massive Dogfighting Conspiracy
Article Type
Investigative Press Release
Publish Date

Joint Operation Targets Massive Dogfighting Conspiracy COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Over the weekend, a joint team of more than 60 federal and state law enforcement officers executed nearly two dozen warrants for various properties in the Midlands area in what is believed to be the biggest takedown of,,,

The Department’s Use of Pandemic Assistance Program Administration Funds

2022
F22DC0059
Other
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education
Pandemic

The objective of our review was to determine the Department’s progress on spending program administration funds authorized by coronavirus response and relief laws, including how those funds have been used to date, and the Department’s plans for using remaining funds.We found that the Department has...

The Department’s Compliance with the Geospatial Data Act

2022
A22DC0071
Audit
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education

The objective of our audit was to review the U. S. Department of Education’s (Department) compliance with the requirements outlined under Section 759(a) of the Geospatial Data Act. Specifically, we determined whether the Department implemented the 13 covered agency responsibilities listed in Section...

Gulf Coast State College’s Use of 2019 Emergency Assistance to Institutions of Higher Education Program Funds

2022
A20NY0040
Audit
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education

Our objective was to determine whether Gulf Coast State College (Gulf Coast) used 2019 Emergency Assistance to Institutions of Higher Education (Emergency Assistance) program funds in accordance with Federal requirements and its approved application for program funds.We found that Gulf Coast used...

Effectiveness of Charter School Programs in Increasing the Number of Charter Schools

2022
A21IL0034
Audit
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education

Our reviews of 94 CSP grant recipients’ FPRs, APRs, and data collection forms disclosed discrepancies between the number of schools that CSP grant recipients reported as opened or expanded using CSP funds. Our reviews also disclosed that CSP grant recipients did not always submit or did not timely...

Allocation of ESSER I Funds at Selected Local Educational Agencies

2022
F20IT0049
Other
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education
Pandemic

The objective of our review is to describe how selected local educational agencies (LEA) allocated Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds provided under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).As of March 2022, the 46 LEAs spent over $19.2 million...

Michigan’s Administration of the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund

2022
A20GA0039
Audit
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education
Pandemic

The objectives of the audit were to determine whether the State of Michigan (Michigan) designed and implemented awarding processes that ensured that the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER grant) was used to support local educational agencies (LEAs) and institutions of higher education...

Lithonia man operating federal student loan discharge scam sentenced to federal prison

Lithonia man operating federal student loan discharge scam sentenced to federal prison
Article Type
Investigative Press Release
Publish Date

Lithonia man operating federal student loan discharge scam sentenced to federal prison ATLANTA – De’reek Banks has been sentenced for operating a scheme that caused approximately $48,000,000 in outstanding federal student loans to be fraudulently discharged by exploiting a program intended for,,,

Former Director of West Hollywood Private School Sentenced in College Admissions Case

Former Director of West Hollywood Private School Sentenced in College Admissions Case
Article Type
Investigative Press Release
Publish Date

Former Director of West Hollywood Private School Sentenced in College Admissions Case BOSTON – The former director of a private elementary and high school in West Hollywood, Calif. was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his participation in the college admissions case. Igor Dvorskiy,,,

Former Southern University Professor Sentenced to 24 Months in Federal Prison for Mail Fraud and Money Laundering After Living as a Fugitive in Iran and Turkey for More than a Decade

Former Southern University Professor Sentenced to 24 Months in Federal Prison for Mail Fraud and Money Laundering After Living as a Fugitive in Iran and Turkey for More than a Decade
Article Type
Investigative Press Release
Publish Date

Former Southern University Professor Sentenced to 24 Months in Federal Prison for Mail Fraud and Money Laundering After Living as a Fugitive in Iran and Turkey for More than a Decade United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Parviz,,,

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