Baltimore City Community College gave financial aid to ‘ghost students,’ audit finds

By: William J. Ford

Outlets: Maryland Matters

Published: June 3, 2026

Words: 754

Last Updated: 3 weeks, 3 days ago

Body Text Preview

A state audit shows Baltimore City Community College awarded $264,000 in financial aid to 145 potentially fictitious or “ghost students.”

“This often involves AI-powered bots that mass-apply to colleges, create fake accounts, and submit fake assignments to maintain the illusion of enrollment long enough to receive financial aid refunds,” according to the audit released Wednesday by the Office of Legislative Audits.

The audit noted the school identified the fake students in May 2024, flagging …

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.

About

FAQ

Email Us