Preventing Fraud: Student Identity & Residency 2010 CACCRAO Joy Chambers – Cuesta College Distinguished Panel

CCC Admission & Residency  Title 5 Section  Education Code Section  Student Attendance Accounting Manual  Student Fee Handbook

Identity for Students  Name  Date of Birth  Social Security Number  Citizenship  Address  High School/s-Dates of Attendance- Diploma  College/s-Dates of Attendance-Diploma

Applicant to Student  Matriculation  Determines Eligibility to Enroll  Determines Residency for Fee Purposes  Permits Enrollment in Courses  Academic Record

Whose Identity IS Being Established?  Special Part-time (concurrent) Applicant  International F-1 Visa Applicant  Transfer Student  New First-time Student  Transfer Student from Out of State  Under 18 not HS Grad-not concurrent  B-Visa (Visitor) Applicant  Applicant Concurrently Enrolled

P R E S S U R E Points: People  Individual & Family Budget Impacted!  High School Not Working  Decrease in CSU & UC Admission  Increased Tuition at CSU & UC  Can’t Get Job  Veterans Returning for Post 911 GI Bill  Athletes

Cost of CCC  CA Resident Enroll Fee = $26/per unit  Full-time CA Resident = $312/semester  Non-Resident Tuition = $ per unit  Full-time Non-resident = $2580/semester  Answers to application questions determine CA residency for admission

Warning: Perjury/Fraud  WARNING: Falsifying information about citizenship, California residency, financial aid, and/or military status could result in: 1) criminal charges for perjury and/or fraud and, if convicted, imprisonment; 2) student disciplinary action; and/or 3) accumulated monetary charges for restitution or nonresident tuition due.”

Admission Application Identity Fraud Uncovered  Ventura County Star reported on November 15, 2009 :  Out-of-state community college student athletes saved thousands of dollars by declaring themselves CA residents.  Ventura basketball coach resigned.  Oxnard basketball coach dismissed.  Both coaches charged with criminal fraud.

Colleges Audited  L.A. City College – since 1994  : Fraudulently claimed five players from CA Prep School.  Over 6 seasons: Fraudulently claimed to be military personnel or dependent.

“We weren’t aware of anything.”  Students gave correct information on app. Coach told them to DO IT OVER.  Student had no idea what non-res fees were.  Students said they knew it wasn’t their info – they just listened and did it.  Never asked why.  1996 Audit - $28,063 non-res fees charged to students.

MORE....  Santa Monica CC – Football coach  Los Medanos College – Football  Cerritos – Football coach falsified federal loan docs for $91,000/13 players PLUS residency fraud. Jail Sentence + $70K Dept Ed + $20K Cerritos

Campus by Campus  Experience with Student Identity Fraud?  Consequences?

Campus by Campus  Best Practices to Prevent Perjury/Fraud:

Questions?

Best Practices Checklist  Allow applicant to complete – do NOT “coach” answers.  Be sensitive to applicant’s privacy.  Stress: Answers MUST be accurate.  Give clear directions.  Reference residency rules in print.  Refer applicant to Admissions if you are unsure!

Best Practices: STUDENT WARNED  Require student acknowledgement of the consequences of perjury on forms.  “WARNING: Falsifying information about citizenship, California residency, financial aid, and/or military status could result in: 1) criminal charges for perjury and/or fraud and, if convicted, imprisonment; 2) student disciplinary action; and/or 3) accumulated monetary charges for restitution or nonresident tuition due.”

Best Practices:  Share policies/processes about admission and residency with other departments who interact with students.  Meet with coaches and athletes on residency.  During eligibility check of Form 1 information, check residency status.  Require evidence for non-res exceptions.

Best Practices:  Student residency classification correct?  Has the district received FTES for non-residents?  Chancellor’s office adding more to audit:  Correct residency determination  Fee collection  Out-of-state athletes