Student Bots in the California Community Colleges.
Ripping off the federal government for billions of dollars.
Signs of bot behavior can include identical phrasing and nonsensical language, or inappropriate answers to prompts. Other indications include multiple students with the same or similar email addresses or bank account numbers, or withdrawing from school after receiving aid, according to the U.S. Department of Education Office of the Inspector General. Canva graphic by Kathy Archibald/City Times Media
If the colleges turn these bots in they can be out millions. But the bots take up classes that legitimate students need. Because of the Pandemic the feds give each student up to $5,000. Some bots are run by one person or group and have hundreds of bots.
The whole article is here.
During the summer and fall of 2021 CalMatters, Los Angeles Times and other outlets reported on community colleges in California overrun by students who were not participating in virtual classes, or were otherwise acting strangely – likely in attempts to cash in on financial aid money before dropping out of class.
And the repercussions of financial aid fraud are felt beyond the loss to taxpayers. “Bots” may take class spots which are then denied to other students once classes and waitlists are filled.
The phenomenon also paints an incorrect picture of student interest, retention, class size and the need to recruit students. They skew admission and demographic numbers, and raise student privacy concerns.