Community colleges in California are considering a new application fee and robust identity verification to deter scammers from using fake or stolen IDs to steal student financial aid.
The California Community Colleges Board of Governors is scheduled to continue discussing and addressing the issue at an upcoming meeting on July 22.
The agenda includes exploring an application fee “not to exceed $10 or actual costs, whichever is lower.” The goal is to “support application review costs and deter fraudulent application submissions.”
The plan also includes potential refunds, credits, or waivers for students who have financial hardship.
The Board of Governors first raised the idea of an application fee during a May 20 meeting, as the state’s community college system has been reporting a growing number of fake students….