A study reveals that a significant number of UK universities continue to accept millions in cash for tuition and accommodation payments, making them vulnerable to money laundering risks. Around 22 universities still accepted cash payments, with the total reaching £12m in 2019-20. The research highlights concern about anti-money-laundering guidelines not being strictly followed and universities not reporting suspicious activity, potentially endangering staff and students. The study calls for stricter legislation to address these vulnerabilities.

According to the State Chancellor's Office, 20% of applications for California community colleges are fraudulent. A radiation oncologist at UC Davis is one of the thousands who have had their identity stolen to create fraudulent student applications with the intention to steal federal aid, a practice that has resulted in an unprecedented influx of ghost students. City College of San Francisco reported 59 fraudulent students and has identified 29 ghost students who have received $22,418 to date.

An investigation found nearly 170 residents who allegedly defrauded subsidies from the Continuing Education Development Plan, which involved over MOP1 million. Between 2016 and 2019, two staff members attracted residents to apply to the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau for the Continuing Education Development Plan and apply for subsidised courses. The centre reported untrue attendance records and colluded with instructors and students to forge attendance records while the students received cash rebates amounting to half of the subsidies paid or took other courses held by the centre for free.

The Ministry of Education (MoE) announced that the supplementary fees for security guards at schools are entirely voluntary. However, schools preventing children from attending class because their parents have not made such payments will be punished by the Law. The MoE also reported corruptions scandals in the Southern province of Inhambane, such as the sale of fake certificates or the rigging of examination marks for the Teachers Training Centre admission charged 780 US dollars.

California community college officials uncovered the state’s biggest financial aid scam attempts: over 60,000 aid applications compared to 2019, from students older than 30 earning less than US$40,000 annually and seeking a two-year degree rather than a vocational certificate. Faculty were also beginning to question whether many of their ‘students’ were actually fake bot accounts. California community colleges have received more than $1.6 billion in emergency COVID-19 relief for low-income students.

As schools and universities move to online instruction, the new software Turnitin Originality is designed to support academic integrity by providing tools to students to self-check and correct themselves, and for professors to identify potential misconduct so that they can intervene. When reviewing submissions, Turnitin Originality checks whether the work is similar to other known text, or if there are indications that it was not written by the student. This data will facilitate conversations between instructors and students about how to discover and express their authentic voice.

A qualitative study of twelve Sri Lankan secondary school teachers has found that compared to 10-15 years ago students, current secondary school students are more self-centred and adopt more problematic behaviours in school that are harmful to themselves and others. Student misbehaviour in the classroom includes disrespect for teachers, performing irrelevant classroom tasks and verbal aggression, while school-based misbehaviour reflects disrespect for school authorities, unnecessary use of dangerous drugs and the development and support of inappropriate and harmful relationships.

Despite the growth of academic institutions in Nigeria, the Federal and State Governments have failed to meet the increasing demand for university and polytechnic education, resulting in the adoption of a quota system. This practice, structured on favouritism towards indigenes of a particular state over others, has led many denied admission seekers to commit fraud. Meanwhile, federal institutions in some areas are under-enrolled and others over-crowded, resulting in misuse and over-use of resources.

To fill the gap between demand and constant increasing supply, many players in the higher education sector live by the saying that ‘fake it if you cannot make it’. South of Punjab has been hit by fake education. In Alipur, a branch of a known college chain claimed to be affiliated with GC University, Faisalabad. Many students paid fees to get registered, however, the university website doesn’t recognize it as an affiliated college. The robbed students moved administration and made complaints. But the institutions are supported by the feudal lords in the area.

Perth’s Murdoch University and other universities have become heavily reliant on foreign student fees to bolster their incomes. 50 professors from the Australian Research Council’s Laureate Fellowship condemned the decision to take legal action against an associate professor from the university. Deeply concerned about the integrity of academic teaching, the professor complained on television that the university was not only enrolling international students whose English was inadequate but also allow them to graduate.