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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

Arkansas State University’s Administration of Selected Aspects of the Title IV Programs

2013
A06M0013
Audit
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education

We evaluated Arkansas State University’s (ASU) loan default prevention and management, the accuracy of selected information ASU reported to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), its quantitative satisfactory academic progress measures, and the accuracy of selected consumer...

El Paso Independent School District's Compliance With the Accountability and Academic Assessment Requirements of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965

2013
A06L0001
Audit
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education

We determined that the El Paso Independent School District, Bowie High School, and Coronado High School Adequate Yearly Progress results for 2009, 2010, and 2011, and the graduation rate data used for the 2009 and 2012 Adequate Yearly Progress calculations cannot be relied on because not all...

The Texas Education Agency’s System of Internal Control Over Statewide Test Results

2013
A05N0006
Audit
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education

We performed our audit work at the Texas Education Agency (TEA), La Joya Independent School District (La Joya), Lufkin Independent School District, and Marion Independent School District. We determined that both the TEA and La Joya need to improve their systems of internal controls. We found that...

Puerto Rico: Final Recovery Act Expenditures Supplemental Report

2013
A04M0014
Audit
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education

We found that the Puerto Rico Department of Education (PRDE) generally obligated and spent Recovery Act funds in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, guidance, and program requirements. However, we found that PRDE did not follow proper procurement procedures when using Recovery Act funds to...

Review of Final Expenditures Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for Selected Educational Agencies

2013
A04M0001
Audit
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education

Our nationwide review of how LEAs obligated and spent Recovery Act money in the final year of funding covered the Puerto Rico Department of Education (as both a State educational agency (SEA) and an LEA), four other SEAs, and eight LEAs. Our review did not find that the LEAs used Recovery Act funds...

U.S. Department of Education's and Selected States' Oversight of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program

2013
A04L0004
Audit
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education

Our audit to determine whether the Department effectively monitored and tracked 21st Century Community Learning Centers program performance measures and controls at four SEAs identified areas needing improvement. The four SEAs reviewed were the Alabama State Department of Education, the Florida...

U.S. Department of Education's Compliance with the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act of 2010 for Fiscal Year 2012

2013
A03N0001
Audit
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education

We found that the Department complied with IPERA, although issues remained with the completeness of the calculation of the estimated improper payment rate for the Pell Grant program. In addition, its proposed methodologies for estimating improper payment rates for the Pell Grant, William D. Ford...

Delaware: Final Recovery Act Expenditures Supplemental Report

2013
A03M0005
Audit
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education

We reviewed Recovery Act expenditures at two LEAs—the Red Clay Consolidated School District and the Christina School District—and found that both districts generally obligated and spent stimulus funds in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, guidance, and program requirements. However, we...

U.S. Department of Education’s Compliance With Executive Order 13520, “Reducing Improper Payments” for Fiscal Year 2011

2013
A03M0004
Audit
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education

We found that the Department complied with Executive Order 13520, adequately addressed improper payment risks, and described an adequate level of oversight to reduce and recapture improper payments for FY 2011. However, it did not address monitoring or oversight of Pell Grant program recipients who...

The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Process of Awarding Discretionary Grants

2013
A03M0002
Audit
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education

Our audit sought to determine whether the Department’s OESE complied with applicable laws, regulations, and guidance for selecting recipients to be awarded discretionary grants and whether OESE had sufficient internal controls to ensure that its review process resulted in a fair and objective...

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