Iowa Western Community College battles the ghost student scam

Eastern Iowa colleges combat ‘ghost student’ scam

One concerning trend is called “ghost students,” and schools here in Iowa are seeing them pop up in increasing numbers.

Iowa Western Community College battles the ghost student scam

Iowa Western Community College catches 109 ghost students trying to scam to receive financial aid. The school said that they have invested in a new refund processing company to help identify potential scammers in the future.

Iowa Western Community College Says It Caught More Than 100 Ghost Students

(Council Bluffs, IA)  —   Iowa Western Community College reports catching 109 ghost students posing as students so they could steal federal grant money. In a report to the Board this week, Iowa Western President Dan Kinney says they caught the ghost students before they could cash out the money and disappear. Kinney says ghost students are a national problem, and often schools are left to repay the stolen grant money.