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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

Parent in College Admissions Case Agrees to Plead Guilty

Parent in College Admissions Case Agrees to Plead Guilty
Article Type
Investigative Press Release
Publish Date

Parent in College Admissions Case Agrees to Plead Guilty BOSTON – The former chief executive of a California-based media company has agreed to plead guilty in connection with her involvement in the college admissions case. Elisabeth Kimmel, 57, of La Jolla, Calif., will plead guilty to one count of,,,

Owners of Florida Teacher Certification Exam Preparation Company Plead Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy and Conspiracy to Commit Theft of Trade Secrets

Owners of Florida Teacher Certification Exam Preparation Company Plead Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy and Conspiracy to Commit Theft of Trade Secrets
Article Type
Investigative Press Release
Publish Date

Owners of Florida Teacher Certification Exam Preparation Company Plead Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy and Conspiracy to Commit Theft of Trade Secrets TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA –Kathleen M. Jasper, 42, and Jeremy M. Jasper, 40, both of Estero, Florida, pled guilty today to racketeering (RICO),,,

Kauai Woman Pleads Guilty To Multiple Wire Fraud Schemes And Aggravated Identity Theft

Kauai Woman Pleads Guilty To Multiple Wire Fraud Schemes And Aggravated Identity Theft
Article Type
Investigative Press Release
Publish Date

Kauai Woman Pleads Guilty To Multiple Wire Fraud Schemes And Aggravated Identity Theft HONOLULU – Leihinahina Sullivan, 49, of Lihue, Kauai, pleaded guilty yesterday before Chief United States District Judge J. Michael Seabright to three counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity,,,

California Parent Agrees to Plead Guilty in College Admissions Case

California Parent Agrees to Plead Guilty in College Admissions Case
Article Type
Investigative Press Release
Publish Date

California Parent Agrees to Plead Guilty in College Admissions Case BOSTON – A California parent has agreed to plead guilty to a tax offense in connection with his involvement in the college admissions case. Homayoun Zadeh, 59, an associate professor of dentistry at the University of Southern,,,

New Orleans Woman Sentenced to Theft of More Than $280,000 In Federal Student Aid

New Orleans Woman Sentenced to Theft of More Than $280,000 In Federal Student Aid
Article Type
Investigative Press Release
Publish Date

New Orleans Woman Sentenced to Theft of More Than $280,000 In Federal Student Aid NEW ORLEANS - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, announced that ASHLY HOWARD (“ HOWARD”), age 34, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced on June 24, 2021 to five (5) years probation in,,,

Inspection of the Department’s Activities Surrounding the Sale of Postsecondary Schools to Dream Center Education Holdings

2021
I05T0010
Inspection / Evaluation
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education

The objectives of our inspection were to describe 1. the involvement of the U.S. Department of Education (Department) in transactions among Education Management Corporation, Dream Center Education Holdings, LLC (Dream Center), Education Principle Foundation, and Studio Enterprise Manager, LLC, and...

Puerto Rico Department of Education’s Unallowable Use of Temporary Emergency Impact Aid for Displaced Students Program Funds for Payroll Activities

2021
F19GA0027
Other
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education

The purpose of this flash report is to apprise the U.S. Department of Education (Department) of the risk that the Puerto Rico Department of Education (Puerto Rico DOE) used Department program funds for payroll costs related to inactive employees1 from 2007 to 2020.We found that the Puerto Rico DOE...

Former Stockton Man Sentenced to Over 6 Years in Prison for Unemployment Benefits Fraud and Identity Theft

Former Stockton Man Sentenced to Over 6 Years in Prison for Unemployment Benefits Fraud and Identity Theft
Article Type
Investigative Press Release
Publish Date

Former Stockton Man Sentenced to Over 6 Years in Prison for Unemployment Benefits Fraud and Identity Theft SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Robert Joseph Maher, 42, formerly of Stockton, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez to six years and three months in prison for mail fraud and,,,

Federal Student Aid’s Suspension of Involuntary Collection in Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic

2021
I20NY0010
Inspection / Evaluation
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education
Pandemic

The objective of our review was to evaluate the results of Federal Student Aid’s (FSA) process for suspending involuntary collection and refunding payments involuntarily collected on defaulted Department-held loans in response to the Coronavirus pandemic.We found that FSA suspended administrative...

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