In 2018 and 2019, measures were signed into law providing the U.S. Department of Education (Department) with nearly $2.9 billion to assist K–12 schools, school districts, and institutions of higher education in meeting the educational needs of students affected by the hurricanes and wildfires that ravaged a number of States and territories. Congress also provided funding to the OIG to carry out oversight activities, such as auditing Department and grantee management and spending of disaster recovery funds, examining the effectiveness of recovery programs, and investigating misuse, theft, and other criminal activity involving these funds.
Below you will find information specific to our disaster recovery oversight work.
Disaster Recovery Fraud Awareness
Listen to our Eye on ED podcast about the OIG's audit and investigative work involving disaster recovery aid fraud and how you can help.
- Oversight of Disaster Recovery Efforts (English)
- Proteger los Fondos de Recuperación por Desastre del Desperdicio, el Fraude, el Abuso y la Actividad Criminal (en Español)
Download these free materials that can help you identify and report disaster recovery fraud to the OIG.
OIG Audit-Related Work
Below you will find our completed disaster recovery oversight work.
General
- The Department’s Oversight of Disaster Assistance Funding for Institutions of Higher Education (Issued 9/30/2020)
- FSA’s Reallocation of Campus-Based Aid (Issued 5/27/2021)
Emergency Assistance to Institutions of Higher Education Program
- Gulf State College (Issued 9/22/2022)
Selected States’ Administration of Temporary Emergency Impact Aid for Displaced Students (Emergency Impact Aid) Program
- Florida Department of Education (Issued 1/28/2021)
- Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (Issued 1/24/2022)
- Puerto Rico Department of Education (Issued 7/11/2022)
- Texas Education Agency (Issued 3/6/2020)
Immediate Aid to Restart School Operations (Restart) Program
- Internal Controls
- Puerto Rico Department of Education (Issued 7/17/2019)
- Virgin Islands Department of Education (Issued 6/3/2019)
- Administration of Funds
- California Department of Education (Issued 7/18/2020)
- Florida Department of Education (Issued 9/17/2020)
- Puerto Rico Department of Education (Issued 1/25/2024)
- Texas Education Agency (Issued 2/13/2020)