Financial Aid Fraud

El Camino College takes the integrity of financial aid very seriously. By law, our Financial Aid Office must report suspected cases of fraud to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) in accordance with  34 CFR 668.16.

We will report:

• Any credible information indicating that an applicant for federal student aid may have engaged in fraud or other criminal misconduct in connection with their application.
• Any credible information indicating that an employee, third-party servicer, or other agent of the College involved in the administration of Title IV, HEA programs may have engaged in fraud, misrepresentation, conversion, breach of fiduciary responsibility, or other illegal conduct related to Title IV, HEA programs.

Examples of misconduct when applying for aid include:

• False claims of independent student status
• False claims of U.S. citizenship
• Use of false identities
• Forgery of signatures or certifications
• False statements of income

For these purposes, fraud is defined as intent to deceive, as opposed to a mistake or misunderstanding.

The El Camino College Financial Aid Office will promptly report any suspected cases of fraud to the OIG, as required by federal regulation.