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FOIA Request to North Dakota State Board of Higher Education Regarding Financial Aid Fraud on May 7, 2025.
As part of our ongoing commitment to transparency and accountability in governmental affairs, Peace Garden News has submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education. Our request seeks detailed records concerning financial aid fraud within the state's higher education institutions.
The inquiry is driven by alarming reports from California, where community colleges are grappling with significant financial aid fraud. According to a recent article, scammers—referred to as "Pell runners"—are exploiting artificial intelligence to secure grants and disappear without a trace. This fraudulent activity has reportedly cost California schools over $5 million since 2021, despite efforts to enhance detection and cybersecurity measures.
In light of these developments, we have requested specific data points from the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education. These include:
- College Name
- Applicant Name
- Fraud Amount
- Fraud Incident Date
Our aim is to determine whether similar fraudulent activities are occurring within North Dakota's educational institutions and how they are being addressed.
As members of the media, we play a crucial role in gathering and reporting news that holds public institutions accountable. Access to public records is essential for us to fulfill this responsibility and provide transparency to the public. In line with this mission, we have requested a fee waiver as media professionals.
This request is also supported by The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization dedicated to investigating state and federal governmental agencies through Freedom of Information and Sunshine Laws. For more information about their work, please visit [stopsecrecy.org](https://stopsecrecy.org/about/).
We await the response from the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education and will continue our efforts to ensure transparency in educational funding practices.
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