FBI unveils large-scale college admissions bribery scandal - high-profile arrests made (4 Viewers)

[Saint_Ward]

Disgusting. Pure fraud that should be prosecuted.

The article says it is legal. Crazy.

The smell test says it is fraud.

 

[DaveXA]

The article says it is legal. Crazy.

The smell test says it is fraud.

I don't know how that can be legal. It should be stealing or fraud. If it's legal, then Congress needs to fix the law.

 

[superchuck500]

The article says it is legal. Crazy.

The smell test says it is fraud.

I don't know how that can be legal. It should be stealing or fraud. If it's legal, then Congress needs to fix the law.

If the custody is legally transferred, I suppose it’s legal to then claim that the financial status of the custodian is what it is.

Morally it’s fraud and the screening should include inquiry into a student’s recent transfer of custody. Or something.

 

[Mr. Sparkle]

The unintended consequences of colleges pricing themselves out of the market for anyone except the very rich and the very poor.

The huge middle is left to either go in debt or find other solutions like this craziness.

 

[superchuck500]

The unintended consequences of colleges pricing themselves out of the market for anyone except the very rich and the very poor.

The huge middle is left to either go in debt or find other solutions like this craziness.

The story is that “high income” families are doing it.

 

[tomwaits]

I don't know how that can be legal. It should be stealing or fraud. If it's legal, then Congress needs to fix the law.

Congress fix the laws. hehe, good one!

 

[tomwaits]

The unintended consequences of colleges pricing themselves out of the market for anyone except the very rich and the very poor.

The huge middle is left to either go in debt or find other solutions like this craziness.

Massive government backed financial aid increases demand for college. Prices go up as demand goes up. People are surprised when loopholes are exploited.

 

[DaveXA]

The unintended consequences of colleges pricing themselves out of the market for anyone except the very rich and the very poor.

The huge middle is left to either go in debt or find other solutions like this craziness.

Yep, I can't send my kids to just any college. I really have very limited options when it comes to choices for my kids. Unless they get a substantial amount from scholarships they won't be attending any major schools.

 

[Mr. Sparkle]

The story is that “high income” families are doing it.

Right because "high income" families won't qualify for any financial aid.

Of course it depends on the definition of "high income" but even families with 2 working professional parents ("high income" by any reasonable standard) are hard pressed to come up with $250K per child.

Source: Am one.

 

[Saint_Ward]

If the custody is legally transferred, I suppose it’s legal to then claim that the financial status of the custodian is what it is.

Morally it’s fraud and the screening should include inquiry into a student’s recent transfer of custody. Or something.

What I don't understand is how the new Custodian's wages aren't counted.. just the "student's".

I think this is something unique to Illinois law, since they found this in Chicago.

Like, do they make the "friend" a guardian, but once the kid is 18, they are on their own, so they don't have to report income, because it isn't a parent, but just a guardian? It doesn't make sense how they do this. Like, the mechanics.

 

[Saint_Ward]

Right because "high income" families won't qualify for any financial aid.

Of course it depends on the definition of "high income" but even families with 2 working professional parents ("high income" by any reasonable standard) are hard pressed to come up with $250K per child.

Source: Am one.

Are you cheating the system to try to fake their ability to get need based grants, or steal scholarships from low income students.

It's not like high income makes everything unable to be received.

But, "high income" (of course it is subjective) doesn't mean you have to push private college on your kids either.

 

[Saint_Ward]

I missed this in the article originally..

The Journal’s review of more than 1,000 probate court cases filed in 2018 in Lake County, Ill., turned up 38 cases in which a judge granted the transfer of guardianship to a teenager in his or her junior or senior year of high school. Most of the families live in homes valued around $500,000. Several of those homes were valued at more than $1 million, according to property sites including Zillow.

In court documents, a petitioner is asked why he or she should become a guardian. Nearly all of the 38 cases use some version of this language: “The guardian can provide educational and financial support and opportunities to the minor that her parents could not otherwise provide.”

Mari Berlin is one of the attorneys at the Chicago firm of Kabbe Law Group who has represented about 25 families who have transferred guardianship for the purposes of securing independent student status, which can generate more financial aid.

“The guardianship law was written very broadly,” Ms. Berlin said. “Judges were given an immense amount of discretion. The standard is, best interest of the child, and I think it’s hard to argue that this is not in the student’s best interest.”

It is in the best interest of the child to get cheaper college.....

 

[Mr. Sparkle]

What I don't understand is how the new Custodian's wages aren't counted.. just the "student's".

I think this is something unique to Illinois law, since they found this in Chicago.

Like, do they make the "friend" a guardian, but once the kid is 18, they are on their own, so they don't have to report income, because it isn't a parent, but just a guardian? It doesn't make sense how they do this. Like, the mechanics.

DOE says if you are financially independent from your parents (emancipated or under a guardianship) then you only look to the student's income for financial aid purposes.

IL law (and a lot of other states I'm sure) give judges broad authority to grant a guardianship based on 'best interests of the child' - so they get a lawyer to go to court to say the child is smart but guardianship will help make sure he goes to college, etc. and it gets rubber stamped (or at least it did, apparently).

It's an interesting loophole. Unethical as all hell but interesting.

More here:

Parents Are Giving Up Custody of Their Kids to Get Need-Based College Financial Aid

First, parents turn over guardianship of their teenagers to a friend or relative. Then the student declares financial independence to qualify for tuition aid and scholarships.

www.propublica.org

 

[Mr. Sparkle]

Are you cheating the system to try to fake their ability to get need based grants, or steal scholarships from low income students.

It's not like high income makes everything unable to be received.

But, "high income" (of course it is subjective) doesn't mean you have to push private college on your kids either.

No, I am not. Nor do I condone the parents that participated in this scam. I think its gross, though I admire their chutzpah in a way.

I'm just saying the system is set up to create strong incentives for this kind of thing.

I agree about private college but keep in mind it still costs $50,000 to send your kid to Alabama from out of state.

 

[dtc]

The unintended consequences of colleges pricing themselves out of the market for anyone except the very rich and the very poor.

The huge middle is left to either go in debt or find other solutions like this craziness.

I bet it's not the middle that's doing this. In fact, if I had to bet, I'd bet it was confined to those in the top 1%. Somewhere some financial advisor figured this out and it's spread like wildfire.

Down here, there's talk going around about emancipation of the child needing to be done before the end of their sophomore year.