Hawkeye Reporter

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FOIA Request to Iowa Department of Education Regarding Colleges Financial Aid Fraud on May 7, 2025.

As part of our ongoing commitment to uncovering and reporting on governmental affairs, we at Hawkeye Reporter have submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Iowa Department of Education. Our inquiry focuses on the issue of financial aid fraud within colleges, a matter that has recently gained significant attention due to escalating incidents in California community colleges.

According to a report by CalMatters, California institutions are grappling with a surge in financial aid fraud cases, where approximately 25% of applicants are bots. These scammers, often referred to as "Pell runners," exploit artificial intelligence technologies to secure grants and subsequently disappear, resulting in losses exceeding $5 million since 2021. Despite efforts to enhance detection mechanisms, these fraudulent activities continue unabated, posing challenges for cybersecurity measures and overwhelming online classes.

In light of these developments, we have requested specific data from the Iowa Department of Education under the Iowa Open Records Law § 22.1 et seq. We seek information regarding whether the agency tracks financial aid fraud and have asked for details including:

- College Name

- Applicant Name

- Fraud Amount

- Fraud Incident Date

As members of the media dedicated to transparency and accountability in public institutions, access to such records is crucial for us to fulfill our professional responsibilities. Furthermore, given our role in disseminating information that holds public entities accountable, we believe we qualify for a fee waiver as media professionals.

This request is also supported by The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization that aids media companies and advocacy groups in investigating state and federal agencies through Freedom of Information and Sunshine Laws. For more information about their work, please visit [The Coalition's website](https://stopsecrecy.org/about/).

We will keep our readers updated on any developments or responses received from the Iowa Department of Education regarding this request.