Miller and Hinojosa Encouraged by Department of Education’s Efforts to Rein in Distance Education Fraud, Recognize More Work is Needed
WASHINGTON—Congressmen Miller and Hinojosa released the following statement in response to a report from the Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General highlighting the need for additional safeguards to protect taxpayer money used by students to pay for distance education.
“Today’s report underscores the ongoing challenges we face in the unique environment of distance education, which is rapidly evolving and expanding. The Education Department has already taken a number of positive steps to crack down on people who are inappropriately using distance education programs as a venue to fleece the government out of taxpayer funds. As we work to reauthorize the Higher Education Act, Committee Democrats will carefully consider and evaluate ways in which we can incorporate the OIG’s recommendations to provide accountability for taxpayers while protecting the ability of campuses to continue innovating and experimenting with new educational models.”
Congressman George Miller, the senior democrat on the Education and the Workforce Committee, and Congressman Rubén Hinojosa, senior democrat on the Higher Education and Workforce Training Subcommittee, first issued a letter to the Education Department in September 2011 urging swift action to protect taxpayer investments in rapidly expanding distance education programs.
To read the report, click here.
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