Education Grant Fraud
The federal government offers many forms of student aid for individuals who aren’t financially able to further their education independently. The funding, however, comes with restrictions on how it can be spent, and while we might believe that everyone will act responsibly with them, it creates an opportunity for malicious individuals to commit fraud. Cases of educational fraud are especially unsettling, as the stolen funding could have been used to change someone’s life through education. To make matters worse, the fraud is often difficult to detect unless you’re close to the source, making it especially important for someone close to the fraud to notify someone of the unethical behavior.
That’s why the world needs whistleblowers like you.
As a whistleblower, you’re helping to protect taxpayer dollars and make our federally funded programs fair to all who use them. It’s quite an honor, but many whistleblowers are apprehensive to come forward because they fear retaliation from the organization they’re helping to expose. While this is a valid fear, you can rest assured that our attorneys will do everything in their power to preserve your legal options against retaliation.
We’re here to make the process easier for you. Our team consists of attorneys with years of whistleblower experience, former FBI agents, and an extensive network of support staff who are all committed to one goal: helping you reach the best possible results in your case. If you have evidence of education grant fraud, or any other type of fraud affecting our nation’s federally funded programs, contact us today for more information on your next step.
Fraud Can Vary; Our Approach Does Not
Educational grant fraud occurs when an entity that’s contracted with the federal government purposely misuses or steals funding that arose from the grant. These cases are often complex, as the fraud is commonly committed by large educational institutions who have the resources to cover their tracks. Kickbacks, skimming, and asset appropriation can all occur within federal education programs, but there’s also fraudulent activity that’s specific to educational institutions, such as:
- Submission of false certifications by an educational institution to an accrediting agency
- Falsely accrediting agencies that don’t meet accreditation requirements
- For-profit institutions paying recruiters to enroll students
- Enrollment of ineligible students to fraudulently collect funding
- Keeping students with poor grades/attendance enrolled when they’ve already left the institution
- Falsifying graduation or student attendance records to unlawfully bolster funding
- Encouraging students to fraudulently change their academic information to increase the school’s funding
- Failing to return student aid after a student withdraws from the institution
There can be instances of individuals committing educational fraud, such as the 2010 case of a resident life worker who stole student rent payments that were submitted in cash, but the most significant cases of corruption occur within large institutions. These larger cases result in millions of stolen taxpayer dollars, especially when the fraud has been happening for a long period of time.
For Whistleblowers; For the People
At the end of the day, all whistleblowers are regular people who uncovered suspicious activity that they chose to investigate. However, as a whistleblower, you’re making a courageous effort to ensure that fraudsters are held accountable for their actions. Our Whistleblower Group stands with these brave individuals, and if you discover evidence of educational grant fraud occurring at your educational institution, you’ll always have an ally by your side.
With over $4 billion recovered across verdicts and settlements, we have the capability to handle even the most complicated whistleblower lawsuits, regardless of the organization you’re helping to expose. Contact us today for more information on how to get started.