Reports
Search for reports and investigative results.
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Department of Education OIG
Federal Student Aid’s Use of Pandemic Assistance Student Aid Administration Funds
We found that as of November 30, 2022, FSA obligated nearly 100 percent of the $161.1 million in appropriations it received for pandemic assistance student aid administration funds. Nine FSA business units obligated approximately $157.8 million (98 percent) of the total pandemic assistance student aid administration funds, with one business unit, the Next Gen FSA Program Office, accounting for 78 percent of the obligations. The pandemic assistance student aid administration funds were used for personnel compensation and benefits, information technology systems and services contracts, and...
Department of Education OIG
The Department’s Use of Pandemic Assistance Program Administration Funds
The objective of our review was to determine the Department’s progress on spending program administration funds authorized by coronavirus response and relief laws, including how those funds have been used to date, and the Department’s plans for using remaining funds.We found that the Department has allocated nearly 100 percent2 of its pandemic assistance program administration funds and that the Department is on track to obligate all of its program administration funds prior to the dates the funds are set to expire. The Department allocated the funds to 11 principal offices and as of February...
Department of Education OIG
U.S. Department of Education’s Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Audit Resolution Activities
The report presents information on independent audits with findings pertaining to the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) and audit resolution activities conducted by the U.S. Department of Education. Our review focused on independent audits of HEERF recipients from April 2020 through June 2023. We found that the number of independent audits with findings pertaining to HEERF and requiring resolution by the Office of Finance and Operations (OFO) increased significantly over the past few years, as did the number of audits with complex findings as determined by OFO staff. However, the...
Department of Labor OIG
COVID-19: Recovery of Millions in Pandemic-Related UI Overpayments Improperly Waived, Including Fraud
The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) was responsible for oversight of CARES Act UI programs. Based on concerns that states may have unintentionally waived the recovery of ineligible overpayments, including fraud, DOL OIG performed an audit to determine if ETA’s guidance and oversight ensure states only waived the recovery of eligible overpayments? DOL OIG found ETA’s guidance and oversight did not ensure states only waived the recovery of eligible overpayments for the three key pandemic-related UI programs from March 27, 2020, to June 30, 2023. ETA did not detect that Michigan and...
Department of Labor OIG
COVID-19: ETA Needs to Improve its Oversight of States' Efforts to Identify UI Fraud Using Deceased Persons' Social Security Numbers
As of September 2022, the OIG reported $45.6 billion in unemployment fraud, including $139.5 million from claims using deceased individuals' Social Security numbers. DOL OIG found that fraudulent unemployment insurance claims were filed using deceased individuals' Social Security Numbers by 10 State Workforce Agencies (SWAs). The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) failed to effectively monitor or report on these claims, which hindered efforts to identify high-risk fraud areas. DOL OIG found $586,782 in benefits paid, with $302,686 confirmed as fraudulent. Although no new...
Department of Education OIG
Michigan’s Administration of the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund
The objectives of the audit were to determine whether the State of Michigan (Michigan) designed and implemented awarding processes that ensured that the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER grant) was used to support local educational agencies (LEAs) and institutions of higher education (IHEs) that were most significantly impacted by the coronavirus or LEAs, IHEs, or other education-related entities within the State that were deemed essential for carrying out emergency educational services; and monitoring processes to ensure that subgrantees used GEER grant funds in accordance with...
Department of Education OIG
State and Local Educational Agencies’ Use of Digital Wallet-Related Technologies and Services
We performed this review to determine the extent to which State Education Agencies (SEAs) and local educational agencies (LEAs) use digital wallets to facilitate the administration of U.S. Department of Education (Department) grant funds. Our review covered the period from October 1, 2022, through December 31, 2024. Forty-five SEAs responded to our survey regarding the use of digital wallets to facilitate the administration of Department grant funds. Twelve of those SEAs reported using digital wallets to help administer some of their Department grants during our review period, and three of...
Department of Labor OIG
COVID-19: ETA Needs to Improve Its Oversight of States' Efforts to Identify UI Fraud Using Suspicious Email Accounts
DOl OIG had concerns regarding UI benefits specifically to what extent did ETA and state workforce agencies (SWA) address potentially fraudulent CARES Act UI claims filed using suspicious email accounts. 10 SWAs were reviewed and DOL OIG found ETA took limited action to ensure states properly addressed the potentially fraudulent UI claims. ETA did not perform the proper oversight actions, because ETA considered its oversight responsibilities to be limited. ETA 's ability to assess UI program performance, identify high-risk areas and provide states with additional tools, because ETA did not...