Application Fraud

Our office is required to refer for investigation to the Office of the Inspector General or to state or local law enforcement agencies any instance in which our review of Title IV aid applications indicates that an applicant may have engaged in fraud or other criminal misconduct in connection with the application.

The following examples are given in the regulations as instances that should be referred to the appropriate authorities:

• false claims of independent student status
• false claims of citizenship
• use of false identities
• forgery of signatures or certifications
• false statements of income
• failure to file a federal or state income tax return when required

According to the U.S. Department of Education, simple errors resulting from omission or misunderstanding are not considered evidence of fraud.