Department Of Education Will Use Secret Shoppers To Root Out Fraud

Higher Education is the route to economic security for many. But, unfortunately, some colleges take advantage of people looking to improve their prospects. In an effort to deter and catch bad actors, The Department of Education (ED) is answering the call from many advocates to establish a secret shopper program that will work to discourage and reduce predatory practices in higher education.

Most colleges treat students well and share accurate information about their programs, graduates’ earnings, and job placement rates. Some institutions are less scrupulous, however, and have been known to use misrepresentations or outright falsehoods to lure students into programs that provide substandard education. These programs can leave students without transferable credits, without increased earnings, and often with a lot of student debt.

Secret shoppers will go through the admission and financial aid process at colleges and universities selected for the program and compare the information they receive to federal rules to ensure colleges are not only giving lip service to federal regulations.

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