Who were Joe Haker’s students? They were what’s become known as “ghost students”: fraudsters, typically international, that apply for colleges under false or stolen identities while never intending to attend or gain a degree. The digital applications are often made easier by AI. The fraudsters portray themselves as in need of significant financial aid, wait for that aid to be disbursed, and then pocket the extra funds. They can also steal and sell student technology resources.
Fraudsters usually target fully online programs and community colleges, as it is easier for false students to slip by undetected. Mark Grant, with the Minnesota State College Faculty, said yesterday that some poor-quality work submitted by foreign ghost students is unfortunately indistinguishable with the legitimate work of some struggling students, making fraud discernment difficult for professors.
The enrollment fraud working group presented a recommendations report yesterday to the committee. Craig Munson, chief information security officer for Minnesota State, testified that the working group had created an Enrollment Fraud User Guide for Minnesota’s state colleges and universities. The User Guide, focused on cybersecurity and technical recommendations, was designed to be used by all 33 Minnesota state colleges and universities.
The working group recommended that the legislative committee expand the collaboration between higher education and the legislature by formalizing the fraud group as a standing committee and mandating a yearly fraud report to the legislature. They also recommended that fraud awareness training be provided to students and faculty members, that institutions be required to adopt the suggestions made in the Enrollment Fraud User Guide, that continued attempts at collaboration be made between the state and federal government, and that equity impact assessments take place before implementing any safeguards.