Skip to main content
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

Three Florida Residents Sentenced to Federal Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining Unemployment Benefits from State of California

Three Florida Residents Sentenced to Federal Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining Unemployment Benefits from State of California
Article Type
Investigative Press Release
Publish Date

Three Florida Residents Sentenced to Federal Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining Unemployment Benefits from State of California LOS ANGELES – Three women from South Florida have been sentenced to federal prison for participating in a scheme that defrauded the California Employment Development,,,

Acting United States Attorney Nicholas Ganjei Announces Intent to Step Down from Eastern District of Texas Leadership

Acting United States Attorney Nicholas Ganjei Announces Intent to Step Down from Eastern District of Texas Leadership
Article Type
Investigative Press Release
Publish Date

Acting United States Attorney Nicholas Ganjei Announces Intent to Step Down from Eastern District of Texas Leadership BEAUMONT, Texas – Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas Nicholas J. Ganjei announced today that he will be stepping down from the role of Acting United,,,

Former University Athletic Official Pleads Guilty in College Admissions Case

Former University Athletic Official Pleads Guilty in College Admissions Case
Article Type
Investigative Press Release
Publish Date

Former University Athletic Official Pleads Guilty in College Admissions Case BOSTON – The former senior women’s administrator at the University of Southern California (USC) pleaded guilty today in connection with a scheme to admit students as purported athletic recruits in exchange for money. Donna,,,

The U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014

2022
A21IT0023
Audit
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education

Our objective was to determine whether the U.S. Department of Education’s (Department) overall information technology (IT) security programs and practices were effective as they relate to Federal information security requirements.The Department made several improvements in implementing its...

Former Georgetown Head Tennis Coach Pleads Guilty in College Admissions Case

Former Georgetown Head Tennis Coach Pleads Guilty in College Admissions Case
Article Type
Investigative Press Release
Publish Date

Former Georgetown Head Tennis Coach Pleads Guilty in College Admissions Case BOSTON – The former head coach of men and women’s tennis at Georgetown University pleaded guilty today in connection with soliciting and accepting bribes to facilitate the admission of prospective Georgetown applicants and,,,

Former University Volleyball Coach Involved in College Admissions Case Enters Into Deferred Prosecution Agreement

Former University Volleyball Coach Involved in College Admissions Case Enters Into Deferred Prosecution Agreement
Article Type
Investigative Press Release
Publish Date

Former University Volleyball Coach Involved in College Admissions Case Enters Into Deferred Prosecution Agreement BOSTON – The former Wake Forest University women’s volleyball coach has entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) relating to his involvement in the college admission scheme,,,

InspireNOLA Charter Schools’ Administration of Grants for the Replication and Expansion of High-quality Charter Schools

2021
A18IL0012
Audit
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education

The objectives of our audit were to determine whether InspireNOLA Charter Schools (1) reported complete and accurate information on the annual performance reports that it submitted for its 2016 Charter Schools Program Grants to Charter Management Organizations for the Replication and Expansion of...

Two Parents Convicted by Jury in College Admissions Scheme

Two Parents Convicted by Jury in College Admissions Scheme
Article Type
Investigative Press Release
Publish Date

Two Parents Convicted by Jury in College Admissions Scheme BOSTON – Two former executives were convicted today by a federal jury in Boston in connection with conspiring to bribe athletic officials to facilitate their children’s admission to the University of Southern California (USC) as purported,,,

Remington College’s Use of Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Student Aid and Institutional Grants

2021
A20CA0017
Audit
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education
Pandemic

The objective of our audit was to determine if Remington College used the Student Aid (Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.425E) and Institutional (ALN 84.425F) portions of its Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) grant funds for allowable and intended purposes.Remington College generally...

National Aviation Academy of Tampa Bay’s Use of Professional Judgment

2021
A20IL0001
Audit
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education

The objectives of our audit were to determine whether National Aviation Academy of Tampa Bay (1) applied and documented its use of professional judgment in accordance with sections 479A and 480 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), and (2) reported its use of professional judgment...

Subscribe to Department of Education OIG