For some students, receiving their financial aid refund check means getting their bills caught-up, a boost to their savings account or a shopping spree. For other students, that check means it’s time to withdraw from all of their classes.
Jodi Owens, assistant director of Financial Aid Compliance, said that a “financial aid scammer” is described as someone who applies for financial aid with no intentions of taking classes.
This could be someone who registers for classes, then withdraws when refund checks are distributed. It could also be someone who assumes the identity of another person, or someone who recruits others to apply for financial aid, then takes a cut of what is refunded back to the student.
According to Owens, if a person is caught scamming, they may be required to pay back all money received fraudulently, pay hefty fines or serve jail time. The person also may not be able to receive any more financial aid until all money is paid back.
“Our college takes fraud and waste very seriously,” said Owens.
Sinclair has a team of employees from the Financial Aid department, as well as senior managers from other departments, who look at things closely to catch scammers in the act — including attendance.
“You earn your aid,” said Owens. “If you don’t show up for classes, you don’t earn your aid.”
She said each instructor has individual attendance policies and if students meet those policies, students will then have met their attendance requirements.
Some students believe the policy should be harsher.
“I think it’s unfair. I feel like they should have stricter regulations to receive financial aid — attendance-wise, like regulations on attendance,” said Stacy Wilkerson, English major.
“I don’t get how they get their money if they don’t show up for class.”
Owens said that financial aid fraud is harmful to the system — it’s less money for others and taxpayers are affected by these acts.
“I think it’s messed up because there’s people who really need that money who don’t get it because their parents make too much money, but still come to class and do what they need to do,” said Phallynn Jones, Social Work major.
Owens said there have been a couple of cases of identity theft at Sinclair. To combat the chance of this happening, the federal government requires some financial aid recipients to participate in the verification process.
The verification process is used to catch inconsistencies when receiving financial aid. One in three students are picked at random and they have to show their tax information to their college.
“Sinclair offers a good education,” said Owens. “If you’re going to send off for financial aid and go through all that trouble, you might as well get an education.”
