In class the other day, Professor Bataille mentioned a new article he had uploaded about “ghost students” and I thought it sounded interesting. The title caught my attention, and after reading it, I found the entire situation both surprising and deeply concerning. The article outlines how fake student accounts, many likely run by AI bots, are enrolling in community college courses, applying for financial aid, and collecting money meant for real students. What stood out most to me was the scale of the problem: according to the article, these scams have siphoned off tens of millions of dollars in federal financial aid. In some cases, colleges are seeing hundreds or even thousands of fraudulent applications, overwhelming their systems and staff.
In class the other day, Professor Bataille mentioned a new article he had uploaded about “ghost students” and I thought it sounded interesting. The title caught my attention, and after reading it, I found the entire situation both surprising and deeply concerning. The article outlines how fake student accounts, many likely run by AI bots, are enrolling in community college courses, applying for financial aid, and collecting money meant for real students. What stood out most to me was the scale of the problem: according to the article, these scams have siphoned off tens of millions of dollars in federal financial aid. In some cases, colleges are seeing hundreds or even thousands of fraudulent applications, overwhelming their systems and staff.