• user warning: Table './taijimen_wpn2010/eng_cache_filter' is marked as crashed and should be repaired query: SELECT data, created, headers, expire, serialized FROM eng_cache_filter WHERE cid = '1:e7f0d067a1da7b757fd9520ff882df3e' in /home/www/html/pdnonline/includes/cache.inc on line 25.
  • user warning: Table './taijimen_wpn2010/eng_cache_filter' is marked as crashed and should be repaired query: UPDATE eng_cache_filter SET data = '<p>ATI Enterprises Inc. will pay the government $3.7 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations that it falsely certified compliance with federal student aid programs’ eligibility requirements and submitted claims for ineligible students, the Justice Department announced.</p>\n<p>“Federal financial aid is meant to help students obtain a quality education from an eligible institution, and the Department of Justice is committed to ensuring colleges comply with the rules to make certain that happens,” said Stuart F. Delery, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division.</p>\n<p>Allegedly, ATI Enterprises knowingly misrepresented to the Texas Workforce Commission and to the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges its job placement statistics to maintain its state licensure and accreditation. To participate in federal student aid programs, as authorized by Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (Title IV), schools must enter into a contract with the Secretary of Education called a Program Participation Agreement, in which they agree to a number of terms. For example, if an institution advertises its job placement rates as a means of attracting students to enroll, it must make available to prospective students its most recent and accurate employment statistics to substantiate the truthfulness of its advertisements. The government alleged that, by misrepresenting its job placement statistics, ATI Enterprises fraudulently maintained its eligibility for federal financial aid under Title IV. </p>\n<p>The government further alleged that ATI employees engaged in fraudulent practices to induce students to enroll and maintain their enrollment in the schools. This falsely increased the schools’ enrollment numbers, and consequently, the amount of federal dollars they received at the expense of taxpayers and students, who incurred long-term debt.</p>\n<p>“Misuses of the federal student aid system must not be tolerated, for the sake of the taxpayers and of the innocent individuals who are seeking a quality education,” said Sarah R. Saldaña, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, where some of the ATI campuses involved in the lawsuit are located.</p>\n<p>Wifredo A. Ferrer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida said: “Federal financial aid is there to help students attain their dreams and goals, and misuse of these funds to increase corporate profits is unacceptable. We are committed to ensuring that federal student aid is used for the benefit of students.”</p>\n<p>The settlement amount will be paid from funds supporting three letters of credit that ATI provided to the Department of Education. In addition to the False Claims Act settlement, the Department of Education will disburse from the letter of credit funds $2 million for student loan refunds in relation to cases students filed against ATI in Texas state courts and other related arbitrations. </p>\n<p>“Federal student aid exists so that students can make the dream of a higher education a reality. That’s why misuse in any way of these vital funds cannot be tolerated,” said Kathleen Tighe, Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Education. “I’m proud of the work of OIG special agents for holding ATI Enterprises accountable and for protecting the integrity of federal education dollars.”</p>\n<p>The settlement resolves allegations made in two separate complaints against ATI Enterprises Inc., and related entities filed under the False Claims Act’s qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions, which permit a private individual to file suit for false claims to the government and to share in any recovery. The first complaint, U.S. ex rel. Aldridge, et al. v. ATI Enterprises Inc., et al., was filed in July 2009 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. The second complaint, U.S. ex rel. Ramirez-Damon v. ATI Enterprises Inc., was filed in July 2011 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. </p>\n<p>Source: U.S. Department of Justice</p>\n', created = 1740869213, expire = 1740955613, headers = '', serialized = 0 WHERE cid = '1:e7f0d067a1da7b757fd9520ff882df3e' in /home/www/html/pdnonline/includes/cache.inc on line 108.
  • user warning: Table './taijimen_wpn2010/eng_cache_filter' is marked as crashed and should be repaired query: SELECT data, created, headers, expire, serialized FROM eng_cache_filter WHERE cid = '1:21eb7aa719ef70e3a549f7a8c11d600b' in /home/www/html/pdnonline/includes/cache.inc on line 25.
  • user warning: Table './taijimen_wpn2010/eng_cache_filter' is marked as crashed and should be repaired query: UPDATE eng_cache_filter SET data = '<p>ATI Enterprises Inc. will pay the government $3.7 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations that it falsely certified compliance with federal student aid programs’ eligibility requirements and submitted claims for ineligible students, the Justice Department announced.</p>\n', created = 1740869213, expire = 1740955613, headers = '', serialized = 0 WHERE cid = '1:21eb7aa719ef70e3a549f7a8c11d600b' in /home/www/html/pdnonline/includes/cache.inc on line 108.
  • user warning: Table './taijimen_wpn2010/eng_cache_filter' is marked as crashed and should be repaired query: SELECT data, created, headers, expire, serialized FROM eng_cache_filter WHERE cid = '1:4c12ed3a91717597012a80b2762a0352' in /home/www/html/pdnonline/includes/cache.inc on line 25.
  • user warning: Table './taijimen_wpn2010/eng_cache_filter' is marked as crashed and should be repaired query: UPDATE eng_cache_filter SET data = '<p>The British Supreme Court ruled on the 15th that the British government\'s program to send asylum seekers to Rwanda is illegal, a major blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak\'s immigration policy and key election promises. Britain is scheduled to hold a general election next year.</p>\n', created = 1740869213, expire = 1740955613, headers = '', serialized = 0 WHERE cid = '1:4c12ed3a91717597012a80b2762a0352' in /home/www/html/pdnonline/includes/cache.inc on line 108.
  • user warning: Table './taijimen_wpn2010/eng_cache_filter' is marked as crashed and should be repaired query: SELECT data, created, headers, expire, serialized FROM eng_cache_filter WHERE cid = '1:5445da4326b10bd0de32e3e70eb3a40e' in /home/www/html/pdnonline/includes/cache.inc on line 25.
  • user warning: Table './taijimen_wpn2010/eng_cache_filter' is marked as crashed and should be repaired query: UPDATE eng_cache_filter SET data = '<p><img src=\"/sites/en.worldpeoplenews.com/files/news/P1_20230728%E5%B0%88%E5%AE%B6%E8%A8%AA%E5%8F%B0_0_0.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"194\" alt=\"P1_20230728專家訪台_0_0.jpg\" the tai ji men known as is the human rights persecution case with the largest number of victims and the longest period of victimisation in taiwan since february incident in a delegation of human rights experts and scholars visited the national memorial museum and participated in the international human rights exchange /></p>\n', created = 1740869213, expire = 1740955613, headers = '', serialized = 0 WHERE cid = '1:5445da4326b10bd0de32e3e70eb3a40e' in /home/www/html/pdnonline/includes/cache.inc on line 108.
  • user warning: Table './taijimen_wpn2010/eng_cache_filter' is marked as crashed and should be repaired query: SELECT data, created, headers, expire, serialized FROM eng_cache_filter WHERE cid = '1:d26e5e4273c2501bde594bcbcf5a6594' in /home/www/html/pdnonline/includes/cache.inc on line 25.
  • user warning: Table './taijimen_wpn2010/eng_cache_filter' is marked as crashed and should be repaired query: UPDATE eng_cache_filter SET data = '<p>In the last 10 years, many countries have made significant progress to increase exclusive breastfeeding rates. Yet even greater progress is possible when breastfeeding is protected and supported, particularly in the workplace.</p>\n', created = 1740869213, expire = 1740955613, headers = '', serialized = 0 WHERE cid = '1:d26e5e4273c2501bde594bcbcf5a6594' in /home/www/html/pdnonline/includes/cache.inc on line 108.
  • user warning: Table './taijimen_wpn2010/eng_cache_filter' is marked as crashed and should be repaired query: SELECT data, created, headers, expire, serialized FROM eng_cache_filter WHERE cid = '1:23588efd9d9df69e58dbcb7c3464adaa' in /home/www/html/pdnonline/includes/cache.inc on line 25.
  • user warning: Table './taijimen_wpn2010/eng_cache_filter' is marked as crashed and should be repaired query: UPDATE eng_cache_filter SET data = '<p>The United States government’s failure to adequately regulate private nonprofit hospitals and to provide quality healthcare alternatives undermines access to health care, Human Rights Watch said in a report released on June 15, 2023.</p>\n', created = 1740869213, expire = 1740955613, headers = '', serialized = 0 WHERE cid = '1:23588efd9d9df69e58dbcb7c3464adaa' in /home/www/html/pdnonline/includes/cache.inc on line 108.
  • user warning: Table './taijimen_wpn2010/eng_cache_filter' is marked as crashed and should be repaired query: SELECT data, created, headers, expire, serialized FROM eng_cache_filter WHERE cid = '1:046bbbfa2baa00cd1d3b1966ecb354a8' in /home/www/html/pdnonline/includes/cache.inc on line 25.
  • user warning: Table './taijimen_wpn2010/eng_cache_filter' is marked as crashed and should be repaired query: UPDATE eng_cache_filter SET data = '<p>Islamist armed groups in Burkina Faso have killed scores of civilians, looted and burned property, and forced thousands to flee in attacks across the country since late 2022, Human Rights Watch said on June 15, 2023. The armed groups have also besieged several towns, cutting residents off from food, basic services, and humanitarian aid.</p>\n', created = 1740869213, expire = 1740955613, headers = '', serialized = 0 WHERE cid = '1:046bbbfa2baa00cd1d3b1966ecb354a8' in /home/www/html/pdnonline/includes/cache.inc on line 108.
  • user warning: Table './taijimen_wpn2010/eng_cache_filter' is marked as crashed and should be repaired query: SELECT data, created, headers, expire, serialized FROM eng_cache_filter WHERE cid = '1:ac771ee613456e6a3012dff0893b3bcb' in /home/www/html/pdnonline/includes/cache.inc on line 25.
  • user warning: Table './taijimen_wpn2010/eng_cache_filter' is marked as crashed and should be repaired query: UPDATE eng_cache_filter SET data = '<p>A “cascade of crises” is putting global progress towards ensuring the rights of persons with disabilities in danger, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned on Tuesday in New York.</p>\n', created = 1740869213, expire = 1740955613, headers = '', serialized = 0 WHERE cid = '1:ac771ee613456e6a3012dff0893b3bcb' in /home/www/html/pdnonline/includes/cache.inc on line 108.
  • user warning: Table './taijimen_wpn2010/eng_cache_filter' is marked as crashed and should be repaired query: SELECT data, created, headers, expire, serialized FROM eng_cache_filter WHERE cid = '1:3ba985970d36eee5be801f0ac381d1f9' in /home/www/html/pdnonline/includes/cache.inc on line 25.
  • user warning: Table './taijimen_wpn2010/eng_cache_filter' is marked as crashed and should be repaired query: UPDATE eng_cache_filter SET data = '<p><img src=\"/sites/en.worldpeoplenews.com/files/news/image1170x530cropped%20%288%29_10_0_0.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"136\" alt=\"image1170x530cropped (8)_10_0_0.jpg\" /><br />\nChinsisi Jafali, a 14-year-old with albinism in Malawi.</p>\n', created = 1740869213, expire = 1740955613, headers = '', serialized = 0 WHERE cid = '1:3ba985970d36eee5be801f0ac381d1f9' in /home/www/html/pdnonline/includes/cache.inc on line 108.
  • user warning: Table './taijimen_wpn2010/eng_cache_filter' is marked as crashed and should be repaired query: SELECT data, created, headers, expire, serialized FROM eng_cache_filter WHERE cid = '1:395ce5a5fa84910abf18b52c9d64e4bc' in /home/www/html/pdnonline/includes/cache.inc on line 25.
  • user warning: Table './taijimen_wpn2010/eng_cache_filter' is marked as crashed and should be repaired query: UPDATE eng_cache_filter SET data = '<p>Uzbek authorities should ensure a fair appeals process for a student sentenced to three years in prison for sharing a link to an Islamic devotional song, Human Rights Watch said on June 14, 2023.</p>\n', created = 1740869213, expire = 1740955613, headers = '', serialized = 0 WHERE cid = '1:395ce5a5fa84910abf18b52c9d64e4bc' in /home/www/html/pdnonline/includes/cache.inc on line 108.
  • user warning: Table './taijimen_wpn2010/eng_cache_filter' is marked as crashed and should be repaired query: SELECT data, created, headers, expire, serialized FROM eng_cache_filter WHERE cid = '1:4ada5136db9a29cbb6ed6e7fbd8fc4ce' in /home/www/html/pdnonline/includes/cache.inc on line 25.
  • user warning: Table './taijimen_wpn2010/eng_cache_filter' is marked as crashed and should be repaired query: UPDATE eng_cache_filter SET data = '<p>India’s arbitrary internet shutdowns disproportionately hurt communities living with poverty that depend on the government’s social protection measures for food and livelihoods, Human Rights Watch and Internet Freedom Foundation said in a report released on June 13, 2023. Since 2018, India has shut down the internet more than any other country in the world, undermining the government’s flagship “Digital India” program, which has made regular internet access vital for delivering key public services.</p>\n', created = 1740869213, expire = 1740955613, headers = '', serialized = 0 WHERE cid = '1:4ada5136db9a29cbb6ed6e7fbd8fc4ce' in /home/www/html/pdnonline/includes/cache.inc on line 108.
  • user warning: Table './taijimen_wpn2010/eng_cache_filter' is marked as crashed and should be repaired query: SELECT data, created, headers, expire, serialized FROM eng_cache_filter WHERE cid = '3:de11f8a97bdc357d83f732195e7ba6c2' in /home/www/html/pdnonline/includes/cache.inc on line 25.
  • user warning: Table './taijimen_wpn2010/eng_cache_filter' is marked as crashed and should be repaired query: SELECT data, created, headers, expire, serialized FROM eng_cache_filter WHERE cid = '2:a5be901216e97bc0936ebb9eba6f91fb' in /home/www/html/pdnonline/includes/cache.inc on line 25.
  • user warning: Table './taijimen_wpn2010/eng_cache_filter' is marked as crashed and should be repaired query: UPDATE eng_cache_filter SET data = '<p><a href=\"http://en.worldpeoplenews.com/sites/en.worldpeoplenews.com/files/2024NobelPeacePrizeLaureates/index.html\"><br />\n<h4>\nRinging FOWPAL’s Peace Bell for the World:Nobel Peace Prize Laureates’ Visions and Actions</h4>\n<p></p></a><br />\n<img src=\"/sites/en.worldpeoplenews.com/files/2024NobelPeacePrizeLaureates/banner.jpg\" width=\"240\" height=\"160\" /></p>\n<p><a href=\"http://en.worldpeoplenews.com/sites/en.worldpeoplenews.com/files/2024WorldCultureDiversity/index.html\"><br />\n<h4>\nProtecting the World’s Cultural Diversity for a Sustainable Future</h4>\n<p></p></a><br />\n<img src=\"/sites/en.worldpeoplenews.com/files/2024WorldCultureDiversity/banner.jpg\" width=\"240\" height=\"160\" /></p>\n<p><a href=\"http://en.worldpeoplenews.com/sites/en.worldpeoplenews.com/files/2024icday/index.html\"><br />\n<h4>\nGlobal Celebration of International Day of Conscience: Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze Unites Participants from 63 Nations</h4>\n<p></p></a><br />\n<img src=\"/sites/en.worldpeoplenews.com/files/2024icday/banner.jpg\" width=\"240\" height=\"160\" /></p>\n<p><a href=\"http://en.worldpeoplenews.com/sites/en.worldpeoplenews.com/files/2024EurasianEconomicSummit/index.html\"><br />\n<h4>\nThe Peace Bell Resonates at the 27th Eurasian Economic Summit</h4>\n<p></p></a><br />\n<img src=\"/sites/en.worldpeoplenews.com/files/2024EurasianEconomicSummit/banner.jpg\" width=\"240\" height=\"160\" /></p>\n<p><a href=\"http://en.worldpeoplenews.com/sites/en.worldpeoplenews.com/files/worldday2024/index.html\"><br />\n<h4>\nDeclaration of World Day of the Power of Hope Endorsed by People in 158 Nations</h4>\n<p></p></a><br />\n<img src=\"/sites/en.worldpeoplenews.com/files/worldday2024/banner.jpg\" width=\"240\" height=\"160\" /></p>\n<p><a href=\"http://en.worldpeoplenews.com/sites/en.worldpeoplenews.com/files/PostAuthoritarianBureaucracy/index.html\"><br />\n<h4>\nPost-authoritarian Bureaucracy Violence :Unveiling Ceremony at the Injustice Site of the 1219 Incident</h4>\n<p></p></a><br />\n<img src=\"/sites/en.worldpeoplenews.com/files/PostAuthoritarianBureaucracy/PostAuthoritarianBureaucracy.jpg\" width=\"240\" height=\"160\" /></p>\n<p>Puppet Show I International Friendship Day 2020<br />\n<iframe width=\"280px\" height=\"210px\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/g864WXrLPmg\"></iframe></p>\n', created = 1740869213, expire = 1740955613, headers = '', serialized = 0 WHERE cid = '2:a5be901216e97bc0936ebb9eba6f91fb' in /home/www/html/pdnonline/includes/cache.inc on line 108.

Texas-Based School Chain to Pay Government $3.7 Million for Submitting False Claims for Federal Student Financial Aid

Schools Located in Texas, Florida, New Mexico and Oklahoma

Tags:
2013-08-23

ATI Enterprises Inc. will pay the government $3.7 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations that it falsely certified compliance with federal student aid programs’ eligibility requirements and submitted claims for ineligible students, the Justice Department announced.

“Federal financial aid is meant to help students obtain a quality education from an eligible institution, and the Department of Justice is committed to ensuring colleges comply with the rules to make certain that happens,” said Stuart F. Delery, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division.

Allegedly, ATI Enterprises knowingly misrepresented to the Texas Workforce Commission and to the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges its job placement statistics to maintain its state licensure and accreditation. To participate in federal student aid programs, as authorized by Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (Title IV), schools must enter into a contract with the Secretary of Education called a Program Participation Agreement, in which they agree to a number of terms. For example, if an institution advertises its job placement rates as a means of attracting students to enroll, it must make available to prospective students its most recent and accurate employment statistics to substantiate the truthfulness of its advertisements. The government alleged that, by misrepresenting its job placement statistics, ATI Enterprises fraudulently maintained its eligibility for federal financial aid under Title IV.

The government further alleged that ATI employees engaged in fraudulent practices to induce students to enroll and maintain their enrollment in the schools. This falsely increased the schools’ enrollment numbers, and consequently, the amount of federal dollars they received at the expense of taxpayers and students, who incurred long-term debt.

“Misuses of the federal student aid system must not be tolerated, for the sake of the taxpayers and of the innocent individuals who are seeking a quality education,” said Sarah R. Saldaña, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, where some of the ATI campuses involved in the lawsuit are located.

Wifredo A. Ferrer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida said: “Federal financial aid is there to help students attain their dreams and goals, and misuse of these funds to increase corporate profits is unacceptable. We are committed to ensuring that federal student aid is used for the benefit of students.”

The settlement amount will be paid from funds supporting three letters of credit that ATI provided to the Department of Education. In addition to the False Claims Act settlement, the Department of Education will disburse from the letter of credit funds $2 million for student loan refunds in relation to cases students filed against ATI in Texas state courts and other related arbitrations.

“Federal student aid exists so that students can make the dream of a higher education a reality. That’s why misuse in any way of these vital funds cannot be tolerated,” said Kathleen Tighe, Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Education. “I’m proud of the work of OIG special agents for holding ATI Enterprises accountable and for protecting the integrity of federal education dollars.”

The settlement resolves allegations made in two separate complaints against ATI Enterprises Inc., and related entities filed under the False Claims Act’s qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions, which permit a private individual to file suit for false claims to the government and to share in any recovery. The first complaint, U.S. ex rel. Aldridge, et al. v. ATI Enterprises Inc., et al., was filed in July 2009 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. The second complaint, U.S. ex rel. Ramirez-Damon v. ATI Enterprises Inc., was filed in July 2011 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

Source: U.S. Department of Justice

  • 411 reads