Fraudsters hit Missoula College in national financial aid ‘ghost student’ scheme

By: Keila Szpaller

Outlets: Daily Montanan

Published: September 17, 2026

Words: 1,141

Last Updated: 19 hours, 20 minutes ago

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A fraudulent enrollment scheme drained $673,745 in federal money from the University of Montana’s Missoula College in 2025, according to a new report from the Legislative Audit Division.

The report says UM returned all the money to the federal government in the 2026 fiscal year, and the university’s net cash loss was $377,937.

UM Vice President of Communications Dave Kuntz said UM has submitted an insurance claim to recover the money lost to theft.

The …

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