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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

Idaho State Department of Education’s Oversight of Online Charter Schools

2017
A04N0010
Audit
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education

We found that Idaho’s oversight of the Title I and IDEA, Part B programs was adequate to determine whether services were being provided to students and that teachers were highly qualified, or that deficiencies were identified and corrective actions were required. Specifically, we found that it had...

PIN Security Vulnerabilities

2013
X21L0002
Other
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education

This report highlighted security vulnerabilities associated with the Federal student aid Personal Identification Number (PIN) Registration System (PIN system) that were identified through various OIG investigations. Vulnerabilities identified included inadequate PIN recovery mechanisms that have the...

Student Aid Fraud Ring Assessment

2013
X18M0001
Other
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education

This management information report provided the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) and the Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) with the results of our risk analysis regarding student aid fraud ring activity associated with the electronic processing of Federal student aid applications.

California Department of Education's Administration of LEAs' Special Education Maintenance of Effort Compliance Requirement

2013
L09N0004
Other
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education

We issued a special report on a specific issue of concern in California that we identified during the course of our nationwide review. We determined that the California Department of Education instructed LEAs that had not previously met the MOE compliance requirement with local-only special...

Verbal Complaints Against Private Collection Agencies

2013
L06M0012
Other
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education

We notified the Department that FSA was not enforcing a contract requirement that PCAs report verbal complaints from borrowers to FSA. The contracts between PCAs and the Department provide that each PCA will adhere to Department complaint procedures. Those procedures mandate specific actions a PCA...

Federal Student Aid Paid Private Collection Agencies Based on Estimates

2013
L02N0002
Other
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education

FSA paid $448 million in commissions and $8.3 million in bonuses to Private Collection Agencies (PCAs) based on estimates because DMCS2 could not provide the information necessary to calculate actual commissions and bonuses. During FY 2012, FSA had individual contracts with 23 PCAs to perform...

Debt Management Collection System 2

2013
L02M0008
Other
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education

We found that the Debt Management Collection System 2 (DMCS2), the Federal Student Aid office’s (FSA) system for managing defaulted student loans, was unable to accept the transfer of certain defaulted student loans from FSA’s Title IV Servicers. At the time of our audit, the entities that service...

The Department's Monitoring of Investing in Innovation Program (i3) Grant Recipients

2013
I13M0001
Inspection / Evaluation
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education

Our evaluation of the Department’s monitoring of i3 program grant recipients found that Department program officers regularly engaged with and monitored i3 grantees. However, they did not hold accountable i3 grantees that did not respond or did not respond timely to Department requests. We...

OIG's Independent Report on the Department's Performance Summary Report for Fiscal Year 2012

2013
B19N0001a
Other
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education

We reviewed management' s assertions about performance-related measures for key drug control programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education (Department) contained in the Department’s Performance Summary Report for Fiscal Year 2012. The Department’s management is responsible for the...

OIG's Independent Report on the Department's Detailed Accounting of Fiscal Year 2012 Drug Control Funds

2013
B19N0001
Other
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education

We reviewed management's assertions contained in the Detailed Accounting of Fiscal Year 2012 Drug Control Funds, dated January 28, 2013 (Accounting). The U.S. Department of Education's management is responsible for the Accounting and the assertions contained therein. Based on our review, nothing...

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