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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

The Office for Civil Rights’ Complaint Dismissal Process

2021
A19T0002
Audit
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education

The objective of our audit was to determine whether the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) dismissed discrimination complaints in accordance with applicable policies and procedures. Specifically, we determined whether (1) complaints initially dismissed as a result of the March 2018 revision to OCR’s Case...

Swampscott Financial Advisor Agrees to Plead Guilty in Theft of Former Client’s Retirement Assets

Swampscott Financial Advisor Agrees to Plead Guilty in Theft of Former Client’s Retirement Assets
Article Type
Investigative Press Release
Publish Date

Swampscott Financial Advisor Agrees to Plead Guilty in Theft of Former Client’s Retirement Assets BOSTON – A Swampscott financial advisor has agreed to plead guilty to defrauding an elderly victim and her bank by stealing the victim’s retirement assets. Felix Gorovodsky, 29, agreed to plead guilty,,,

Fort Myers Woman Pleads Guilty To Financial Aid Fraud And Wire Fraud

Fort Myers Woman Pleads Guilty To Financial Aid Fraud And Wire Fraud
Article Type
Investigative Press Release
Publish Date

Fort Myers Woman Pleads Guilty To Financial Aid Fraud And Wire Fraud Fort Myers, Florida – Elaine M. Levidow (60, Fort Myers) has pleaded guilty to five counts of wire fraud and one count of fraud involving Department of Education Financial Aid. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal,,,

Owner of Diving School Admits Wire Fraud

Owner of Diving School Admits Wire Fraud
Article Type
Investigative Press Release
Publish Date

Owner of Diving School Admits Wire Fraud CAMDEN, N.J. – The president and CEO of a commercial diving school today admitted fraudulently obtaining funding from the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for the school and its students, Acting U.S. Attorney,,,

Former Temple Business School Dean Indicted for Fraud

Former Temple Business School Dean Indicted for Fraud
Article Type
Investigative Press Release
Publish Date

Former Temple Business School Dean Indicted for Fraud PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced during a press conference today that Moshe Porat, the former Dean of Temple University’s Richard J. Fox School of Business and Management (“Fox”), has been,,,

Former charter school official sent to prison for embezzling funds

Former charter school official sent to prison for embezzling funds
Article Type
Investigative Press Release
Publish Date

Former charter school official sent to prison for embezzling funds HOUSTON – The former superintendent of Houston Gateway Academy has been ordered to federal prison after taking more than a ¼ million dollars, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery. Richard Garza, 61, Houston, pleaded,,,

Three Defendants Plead Guilty in Virtual Education Fraud Case

Three Defendants Plead Guilty in Virtual Education Fraud Case
Article Type
Investigative Press Release
Publish Date

Three Defendants Plead Guilty in Virtual Education Fraud Case Montgomery, Alabama – On Thursday, April 8, 2021, three defendants pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the Alabama State Department of Education (ASDE) by falsely inflating the number of students enrolled in public virtual schools,,,

3 Inland Empire Women Arrested on Charges of Illegally Obtaining COVID-Related Unemployment Benefits in Names of Prison Inmates

3 Inland Empire Women Arrested on Charges of Illegally Obtaining COVID-Related Unemployment Benefits in Names of Prison Inmates
Article Type
Investigative Press Release
Publish Date

3 Inland Empire Women Arrested on Charges of Illegally Obtaining COVID-Related Unemployment Benefits in Names of Prison Inmates RIVERSIDE, California – Federal authorities this week arrested three Inland Empire residents on fraud charges alleging they used information belonging to California state,,,

Inland Empire Woman Sentenced to Over 3 Years in Prison for Using Stolen Identities to Fraudulently Obtain Over $500,000 in COVID Relief

Inland Empire Woman Sentenced to Over 3 Years in Prison for Using Stolen Identities to Fraudulently Obtain Over $500,000 in COVID Relief
Article Type
Investigative Press Release
Publish Date

Inland Empire Woman Sentenced to Over 3 Years in Prison for Using Stolen Identities to Fraudulently Obtain Over $500,000 in COVID Relief LOS ANGELES – A Riverside County woman was sentenced today to 37 months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining more than $500,000 in COVID-19-related,,,

Two Louisiana College Students Charged with Identity Theft

Two Louisiana College Students Charged with Identity Theft
Article Type
Investigative Press Release
Publish Date

Two Louisiana College Students Charged with Identity Theft SHREVEPORT, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Hayden Philip Breaux, 21, of Houma, Louisiana and D’Quincy Marquis Jones, 23, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, have both been charged in an indictment returned by,,,

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