Education

Eugene

(61,807 posts) Wed Mar 23, 2016, 02:07 PM Mar 2016

US Government Cuts Grants to Jewish College, Citing Fraud

Source: Associated Press

US Government Cuts Grants to Jewish College, Citing Fraud

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. — Mar 23, 2016, 1:53 PM ET

The federal government has barred a Jewish college in suburban Detroit from participating in a popular grant program after finding that thousands of students lived full-time in Israel and weren't taking classes through the school.

The Michigan Jewish Institute broke its fiduciary duty to the U.S. Education Department, which supplies Pell grants of up to $5,775 this year, and provided false information to an accrediting agency, the government said in a February letter obtained by the Detroit Free Press ( http://on.freep.com/1Ry8A0f ).

The school, referred to as MJI, declined to comment on the allegations, saying "that could be taken as politicizing the matter." The Free Press reported Wednesday it's affiliated with the local chapter of the Chabad-Lubavitch, an Orthodox Jewish group.

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"The evidence shows that almost 2,000 U.S. citizens, who were full-time Israeli residents, received Pell grants for ostensibly 'studying abroad' in Israel at Israeli institutions between 2006 and 2012," the Education Department's letter to Rabbi Kasriel Shemtov said. "Not a single one of them ever physically attended classes at MJI and none of them graduated from MJI."

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3 replies

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US Government Cuts Grants to Jewish College, Citing Fraud (Original Post) Eugene Mar 2016 OP

I have no problem with this. cloudbase Mar 2016 #1

ever been? it's no small wonder many theoretical physicists are Jewish MisterP Mar 2016 #3

It seems counter productive that Pell Grants can be used for 'studying abroad'. procon Mar 2016 #2

cloudbase

(5,511 posts)

1. I have no problem with this.

Reply to Eugene (Original post)

Wed Mar 23, 2016, 02:21 PM

Mar 2016

I have some reservations about funding education that would be of little or no value in the secular world. I'd have to see a case made where studying Torah and Talmud would be beneficial to the general American society.

MisterP

(23,730 posts)

3. ever been? it's no small wonder many theoretical physicists are Jewish

Reply to cloudbase (Reply #1)

Thu Mar 24, 2016, 12:28 AM

Mar 2016

procon

(15,805 posts)

2. It seems counter productive that Pell Grants can be used for 'studying abroad'.

Reply to Eugene (Original post)

Wed Mar 23, 2016, 02:55 PM

Mar 2016

There is no logic in using scarce US tax dollars to prop up foreign institutions and fund their economies while our own go wanting. Pell Grants are funded by US taxpayers to fund the college education of low-income students -- and it really is pretty low -- based on financial need. I'm thinking US tax dollars should first go to good US schools to support local campuses, the workers and stimulate their communities, while providing students the opportunity to get a quality education that they might not otherwise afford.

Factor in the obvious fraud involving the collusion of many people and groups both in the US and in Israel, and by any other name, it's theft, and that really needs to be prosecuted.

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