The U.S. Department of Education has been charged with allocating billions of dollars to help States, schools, and students impacted by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), as well as those affected by the natural disasters in the last several years. These funds look to help schools, school districts, colleges, universities, and other institutions educate their students in these challenging times and return to full capacity when possible. The Office of Inspector General has been charged with ensuring that these vital funds are used as required and reach the intended recipients, and with investigating misuse, theft, and other criminal activity involving these funds.

• Coronavirus Response and Relief Aid Oversight
• Disaster Recovery Oversight

Coronavirus Response and Relief Aid Oversight

Three measures have been signed into law providing the U.S. Department of Education (ED) with more than $280 billion to assist States, K–12 schools, school districts, and institutions of higher education in meeting their needs and the needs of their students impacted by the coronavirus pandemic—the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or CARES Act (March 2020), the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021-Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (December 2020), and the American Rescue Plan (March 2021). The Office of Inspector General (OIG), as the independent oversight arm of ED, is working to ensure that education-related coronavirus response funds are used as required and reach the intended recipients. We do this by conducting independent audit and other reviews, and by investigating allegations of misuse, theft, and other criminal activity involving these funds.

The OIG has produced a pandemic relief oversight plan that includes our plans for (1) auditing ED and grantee management and spending of coronavirus response funds, (2) examining the effectiveness of relief program, and (3) investigating misuse, theft, and other criminal activity involving these funds. The OIG has also produced a summary (PDF, 1.7M) of the most significant management challenges facing ED related to coronavirus emergency relief and response efforts. Our summary was included in the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee report highlighting the top challenges facing all agencies funded by coronavirus-related legislation

Our oversight efforts are well underway. The table below provides information on the OIG’s coronavirus audit and related review work. This table will be updated regularly, so be sure to check back with us for the latest information.

Coronavirus Response Fraud—Let’s Work Together to Stop It!

Criminals and bad actors are targeting coronavirus response funds, seizing on every opportunity they can in this time of crisis to steal or intentionally misuse this money—including preying on students; schools; and Federal, State, and local government agencies. The OIG, through its Special Investigations Unit, is working to identify and prevent the criminals and bad actors who seek to steal or misuse these funds. The OIG Special Investigations Unit is composed of professional criminal investigators with decades of experience in conducting education-related investigations and stopping education-focused fraud schemes involving Federal education programs. Many of those investigations started with a call to the OIG by a person who suspected fraud. That is how we were able to stop it; and that is why we need you to help identify potential coronavirus fraud by reporting it to the OIG.

What does education-related fraud look like? How do you report it? And how can you help? These materials can help! Click on the links below for our digital booklet, flyer, and posters that provide the answers to these questions and more!

• Fraud Reporting Requirements for Federal Program Participants and Auditors (PDF, 1.17M)
• Help Protect Coronavirus Funds from Fraud and Abuse Digital Booklet (PDF, 1.02MB)
• Let’s Work Together to Protect Coronavirus Response Funds from Fraud and Abuse Flyer (PDF, 136K)
• Higher Education/Student Aid Fraud Awareness Poster (PDF, 2.08M)
• K­–12 Fraud Awareness Poster (PDF, 1.42M)

Pandemic Response Accountability Committee

The CARES Act establishes the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC), composed of inspectors general from across the Federal government. The PRAC is tasked with conducting, coordinating, and supporting inspectors general in the oversight of trillions of dollars in emergency Federal spending to address the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. The CARES Act names nine specific agency inspectors general to the PRAC, including ED. Acting Inspector General Sandra D. Bruce is representing the OIG on the PRAC, chairing the PRAC’s subcommittee focused on GAO and State and local oversight efforts, and is a member of the PRAC’s financial sector oversight work group. Visit the PRAC’s website for more information.

Federal-State Coronavirus Task Forces

The OIG is also working with our law enforcement colleagues across the country to stop coronavirus-related fraud perpetrated by those who seek to separate you from your money. This includes participating on Federal-State coronavirus fraud tasks forces. These task forces are working to quickly address fraud complaints and to identify, investigate, and prosecute fraud related to the pandemic. They are looking into unlawful hoarding, price gouging, and a series of scams preying on our nation’s citizens—such as scams involving vaccines, supplies, charities, phishing, apps, and investments. You can find out more about these task forces and read more about the scams and schemes they are stopping via the U.S. Department of Justice coronavirus fraud website.

OIG Coronavirus Response Audit and Related Review Work

Read OIG’s CARES Act Oversight Plan.

Disaster Recovery

In 2018 and 2019, Congress passed and the President signed into law measures providing ED with nearly $2.9 billion to assist K–12 schools, school districts, and institutions of higher education in meeting the educational needs of students affected by the hurricanes and wildfires that ravaged a number of States and territories. Congress provided $6 million to the OIG to carry out oversight activities, such as auditing ED and grantee management and spending of disaster recovery funds, examining the effectiveness of recovery programs, and investigating misuse, theft, and other criminal activity involving these funds.

Our work is well underway! Read our completed audits reports and information on our ongoing audit work that you will find in the table below. Be sure to check back with us regularly as we will update these pages with new information.

For information on disaster recovery funding and assistance available through the U.S. Department of Education: https://www.ed.gov/hurricane.