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  • As feds plan new measures to prevent financial aid fraud, colleges hope real students still enroll

    As feds plan new measures to prevent financial aid fraud, colleges hope real students still enroll


    The 2025-26 FAFSA form.

    Credit: Andrew Reed

    Top Takeaways
    • California’s community colleges have dispersed $14 million and likely much more in financial aid to fraudsters.
    • The U.S. Department of Education says colleges must verify the identities of more students this summer. In the fall, it plans to launch permanent screening. 
    • Colleges worry that the new measures could burden students too much and prevent some from enrolling.

    California colleges are worried that new federal measures seeking to crack down on financial aid fraud, which has stolen millions in grants, could result in the unintended consequence of fewer legitimate students enrolling. 

    At California’s community colleges, where the fraud has been most pronounced in the state, financial aid officials hope the new steps will strike a balance between deterring bad actors while also minimizing the burden on real students. Some students may find taking extra steps to prove their identity to be an extra barrier to enrolling, possibly scaring them off, administrators say. 

    “How do we do fraud mitigation, but also still have students apply? The more barriers, the harder we make it to get in our systems, the less people will come,” said Tina Vasconcellos, associate vice chancellor of educational services at the Peralta Community College District. “It’s great the federal government wants to help us and cut down on fraud, but at the same time, is it going to create another hoop for our students to jump through to get to us in the first place?”

    The U.S. Department of Education announced last month it will roll out new ways to verify the identities of students who apply for aid. Most of the fraud has tapped federal aid, in the form of Pell Grants intended for low-income students, but some state and local aid has also been stolen in California and elsewhere. 

    The federal department said it would require colleges this summer to verify the identities of additional first-time applicants. That will apply to about 125,000 students in total nationwide, but the department didn’t say how that will be split among the colleges. To get verified, students will have to show government-issued identification such as a passport or driver’s license. If the college determines that a student is unable to show the identification in person, the student can be given the option to do so on a video call.

    “Although we recognize that these verification selections could be challenging for some institutions and students, it is a critically important and targeted step toward preventing fraud,” the department wrote in an announcement.

    The additional verification for the summer term is only a temporary solution before the department implements a permanent screening process for every financial aid applicant for the upcoming fall term.

    Officials have not said what that process will entail in the fall. Among the possibilities, college officials speculate that requiring more students to come in person to prove they are real, which could be potentially challenging for students who live far away and take entire course loads online.

    Community colleges have been plagued by financial aid scammers who target those institutions because they are open-access and offer many classes fully online. That makes it much easier to enroll in classes online and be eligible for aid. At least $14 million in aid, and likely much more, has been dispersed to fraudsters at California community colleges since 2021. 

    It’s also easier to defraud community colleges than more expensive universities because tuition is so low or otherwise covered, and much of the grants go directly to students for living costs, rather than to the colleges for tuition. 

    “We don’t know what the plan is for the fall,” said Jill Desjean, the director of policy analysis at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. Ideally, Desjean said, the process would be automated so that additional steps aren’t required of students or staff. “There’s just a limit to what the schools can do.” 

    Pretending to be legitimate students, fraudsters start by applying for admission online. Some of them are caught there, but others successfully get admitted and enroll in classes. At that point, they can request financial aid, which, if they’re successful, gets distributed to personal bank accounts via direct deposit.

    Beyond stealing aid, the scams have additional consequences for real students. Since each course has a finite number of seats, genuine students are sometimes left on waiting lists and can’t enroll because fraudsters are taking up the available seats.

    In a statement when the new measures were announced, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said the department “has a responsibility to act” because fraud is “taking aid away from eligible students, disrupting the operations of colleges, and ripping off taxpayers.”

    Jasmine Ruys, vice president of student services at College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, acknowledged that “it’s our job to make sure that fraud is not happening and that we’re good stewards of taxpayer money.” 

    She added, though, that the college strives to balance that responsibility with not asking too much of students.

    “Some students work during the day, so they might have to take time off work to be able to come over to us to verify,” Ruys added. “So we try really hard not to put any kind of barriers up for a student.”

    Even being asked to upload additional documents online could be difficult for some students, said Vasconcellos of the Peralta district, which serves Oakland and the rest of northern Alameda County. 

    “We still have a digital divide. There are students within our community who have less access to all aspects of technology,” she said. “A lot of our students are actually still using their phones to take their classes. So what I’d be concerned about is if the technology on the receiving end isn’t working and if it’s not easy to upload your ID, or whatever it is that they’re asking for, it’s going to potentially be a barrier.”

    Vasconcellos and Ruys both said they’re hopeful that whatever the department implements this fall will be something that doesn’t require much extra from students. 

    One possible solution, Ruys said, would be to add something at the beginning of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), so the verification happens quickly rather than when students are getting ready to start their classes. That could be something similar to ID.me, an online identity verification platform already being used by many community colleges. 

    It’s not clear, however, whether the department is considering that option.

    “Whatever it is, we’re going to abide by all laws,” Ruys said. “We just hope that it doesn’t limit our students from being able to enroll and attend college.”





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  • A healthy work-life balance can prevent college student burnout

    A healthy work-life balance can prevent college student burnout


    Jazlyn Dieguez in the newsroom at San Diego State University, where she spent some of her non-studying college time.

    Credit: Jazlyn Dieguez / EdSource

    I am a workaholic, and naturally, I made this realization at 4 on a Sunday morning.

    I had been working on a 15-page research paper on artificial intelligence in hopes of making more progress before the approaching deadline. But instead of working in study-friendly silence, I was engulfed by the sound of Pitbull’s “Time of Our Lives” blaring from my neighbor’s backyard.

    Amid the sound of friends laughing and singing together, I paused to reflect on how I felt.

    My eyes were groggy and sore, my mouth was dry, and my body had fused to the living room couch. Not only did I feel physically sick, I also had a lingering sense of stress and anxiety that inhibited me from taking a break from my classwork.

    This lingering feeling robbed my life of joy. It pressured me to say “no” to spending time with friends and loved ones out of fear of falling behind in school and extracurriculars. 

    And I know I am not alone in these sentiments.

    According to a Gallup survey of more than 2,400 college students at four-year U.S. institutions, 66% reported experiencing stress and 51% reported feeling worried in the spring 2023 semester. 

    It’s difficult to witness many of my peers struggle to cope with these emotions. I have also experienced this struggle by pouring too much of my time and energy into school-related activities: joining new clubs, taking on editorial roles, starting ambitious group projects, and more.

    While achieving these milestones brought temporary satisfaction, the pressure to overachieve intensified my anxiety, ultimately leading to mental exhaustion throughout the year. It was a clear case of burnout, a state of feeling fatigued and overwhelmed by ongoing pressure at work. 

    In a study examining psychological distress and burnout among first-year college students, reports found that 27% of students who reported psychological distress in their first semester were at increased risk of depression, depersonalization and higher levels of burnout.

    As a first-generation college student, there’s something I wish I knew before starting college: how to find a work-life balance. It’s taken my whole college experience to realize that I am at fault for applying so much pressure on myself to achieve more. But, recognizing this was the first step toward making a positive change.

    Here are some strategies that have helped me improve my work-life balance as a student:

    1. Reduce screen time: Use specific app features to control and monitor screen usage. This approach can help enhance work productivity and physical well-being by reducing eye strain and improving sleep quality. Additionally, scheduling designated times for phone use can minimize aimless time spent online.
    2. Embrace social opportunities: Say “yes” to quality time with friends, or communicate your interest in spending time with others. Swapping study sessions for casual dinners, coffee dates or game nights nurtures emotional and physical well-being through meaningful social interactions. This approach motivated me to attend my first San Diego State University basketball game — although not until my senior year — and enjoy more concerts in San Diego.
    3. Set clear goals: Identify three to five realistic daily goals using a to-do list application or a notepad to track progress. Setting short-term goals can provide focus and motivation, further guiding individuals toward achieving personal and academic milestones.

    As I began to wrap up my time at San Diego State, I wanted to make the most of my college experience before I walked across the graduation stage. I refused to be consumed by the stress and anxiety of pending coursework; I wanted to remember college for the memories shared with people I care about, not the late-night study sessions spent alone. 

    Implementing these methods helped me remove the pressure I place on myself and gain a stronger sense of control over my responsibilities. Knowing that I can progress toward my goal through these small adjustments brings me relief.

    I’m most proud of myself for making this change, as I have been able to experience more in the last few months than in previous years. 

    Incoming students embarking on their college careers need significant support to navigate through intensified stressors. But it’s important to remember that a life beyond academics is a life set up for success. It is possible to have the best of both worlds.

    •••

    Jazlyn Dieguez is a member of EdSource’s California Student Journalism Corps. She graduated in May with a journalism degree from San Diego State.

    The opinions expressed in this commentary represent those of the author. EdSource welcomes commentaries representing diverse points of view. If you would like to submit a commentary, please review our guidelines and contact us.





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  • Can theater help prevent violence in schools?

    Can theater help prevent violence in schools?


    Children learn conflict resolution and social-emotional learning through theater.

    credit: NorCal Arts

    Michele Hillen-Noufer describes herself at 13 as “the shyest kid in the world.” She always loved ballet but hated public speaking until her father persuaded her to try out for “Godspell.” She wanted to dance in the show, not sing. She was so scared out of her wits that she cried throughout the audition. But she made a breakthrough that day that shaped the course of her life. 

    “I didn’t start speaking up until I started doing theater,” said Hillen-Noufer, who now teaches children’s theater at Sacramento State University. “It broke me out of my shyness. As I say to the students, this is not just about projecting your voice on stage, it’s also about asserting your voice in the world.”

    When she raised the curtain on NorCal Arts, a Sacramento-based arts education organization in 2020, Hillen-Noufer was hoping to bring that kind of transformative emotional power to young people, to enrich students’ lives with the magic of theater. The organization works with roughly 10,400 students in the Sacramento region, including the Sacramento City Unified School District, Folsom Cordova Unified School District, the Elk Grove Unified School District and the Washington Unified School District.

    “We think arts is important for all students, not just those that can afford it,” said Hillen-Noufer, executive director of NorCal Arts.

    She never had an inkling that those acting classes might also help prevent acts of violence in our bruising age of school shootings and CEO assassinations. Then she landed a $600,000 grant from the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, to teach the kind of conflict resolution skills that can de-escalate a violent atmosphere. Now her theater arts program goes beyond song and dance to teach social-emotional learning at a time when student misbehavior has skyrocketed in schools and what are sometimes called deaths of despair are rising among young adults. 

    Michele Hillen-Noufer founded NorCal arts, a youth theater program.
    Credit: NorCal Arts

    “Though it may seem surprising to consider theater education as a means of preventing violence,” said William Braniff, director of the Department of Homeland Security Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships, in a statement, “this creative, multidisciplinary strategy utilizing theater arts to teach conflict resolution skills effectively tackles the underlying systemic issues that contribute to violence, all while enhancing the safety and resilience of local communities.”

    Many sociologists have argued that fraying social connections, often spurred by rapid technological change, have undermined civic participation and community bonding.  Robert D. Putnam’s influential 2000 book “Bowling Alone” traces the decline of social connectedness in America, from unions to bowling leagues, and how this trend might breed polarization and undermine the workings of participatory democracy. Trusting in your neighbors, experts say, may be key to building back trust in the electoral process. 

    “Theater is a profound tool for violence prevention because it fosters empathy, emotional literacy and healing,” said Allison Gamlen, visual and performing arts coordinator for the San Mateo County Office of Education. “Through storytelling and role-playing, students activate their mirror neurons, the part of the brain that helps us feel what others feel, allowing them to truly step into another person’s shoes. Theater gives young people a safe space to explore challenging situations, process emotions, and even experiment with different outcomes. By embodying characters and committing to their circumstances, students learn to understand and navigate complex emotions — both their own and others’.”

    Drama can be an antidote to alienation, some say. At its core, theater is about baring your soul and making connections with others. It’s about being vulnerable and tapping into a sense of shared humanity. Creating a sense of community is one way to combat hostility before it hardens into hate and violence.

    “You’ll never know if somehow the work we’re doing prevented a school shooter, but to do theater you have to collaborate, to express emotions,” said Hillen-Noufer. “You have to step into someone else’s shoes, connect with your peers, make eye contact.” 

    Combating the sense of disaffection that has pervaded much of American society is key to teaching theater as a form of conflict resolution. Hillen-Noufer’s group has brought this program to roughly 400 classrooms across the Sacramento region. Students tap into theater skills to build empathy and manage disagreements, something many adults struggle with in our polarized world.

    “Think about a student in the classroom who feels rejected,” said Hillen-Noufer. “They don’t feel a sense of belonging. And they go online, and then they start to feel more isolated. And then they get radicalized to violence. The next thing you know, you’ve got your school shooter.”

    Dramatic arts exercises create a safe space to explore dark feelings, what triggers them, and how to disarm them, without fear of judgment. 

    Sparking a sense of calm also defuses tension before it builds. Sometimes children just need to slow their roll, experts say, and take a deep breath. 

    Children gain SEL and conflict resolution skills through a theater class.
    Credit: NorCal Arts

    Learning how to control their emotions through mindfulness techniques can help children avoid the brain fog built into our innate fight or flight response, experts say. Critical thinking skills often abandon us when emotions run high.

    “We are all boiling kettles right now, so it’s easy to fly off the handle,” said Hillen-Noufer.  “Theater can help give kids tools to calm down and look inward.” 

    Like sports, the arts can also create a focal point that students can rally around, inoculating them from alienation. Buoyed by the exhilaration of social interaction, something anxious children all too often miss out on, experts say, bonding becomes easier. Classmates begin to feel more like they are all on the same team. 

    “The dopamine released during the creative play of theater also plays a critical role in healing trauma, as it creates a sense of joy, safety and reward, rewiring the brain toward resilience,” said Gamlen. “This process not only supports individual healing but also strengthens the capacity for compassion and connection, building a foundation for healthier, more empathetic communities.”





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