Department of Education

OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Request

CONTENTS

 Page

A Message from Inspector General Sandra D. Bruce..................................................................1

Appropriations Language ............................................................................................................4

Analysis of Language Provisions and Changes...........................................................................5

Amounts Available for Obligation................................................................................................. 6

Obligations by Object Classification, Office of Inspector General ................................................ 7

Obligations by Object Classification, Supplemental, Disaster Relief............................................ 8

Obligations by Object Classification, Supplemental, CRRSA Act (P.L. 116-260)......................... 9

Obligations by Object Classification, Supplemental, ARP Act (P.L. 117-2)................................10

Summary of Changes................................................................................................................11

Authorizing Legislation ..............................................................................................................12

Appropriations History...............................................................................................................13

Activity: 

Office of Inspector General............................................................................................14
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

1

A Message from Inspector General Sandra D. Bruce

In the accompanying U.S. Department of Education (Department), Office of Inspector General 

(OIG) fiscal year (FY) 2025 budget request, the OIG requests a total of $77.497 million, which 

represents a $9.997 million increase above our FY 2023 appropriation, to cover the OIG’s base 

operations and to provide independent, objective oversight of the Department’s operations and 

programs. This request includes $53.9 million for personnel benefits and compensation, 

$14.3 million for overhead expenses, and $9.2 million for other non-personnel expenses, such 

as maintaining and securing OIG’s four information technology (IT) systems. Since FY 2016, the 

OIG has operated under a relatively flat budget, despite inflation and rising personnel costs. As 

a result, the OIG has had to undertake several cost-saving measures, including hiring freezes, 

reducing the OIG’s office space, and placing limitations on mission-related travel and training. 

The requested $77.497 million will enable the OIG to carry out its statutory mission to promote 

economy, integrity, efficiency, and effectiveness of the Department’s operations and programs. 

Without the requested funding, the OIG will need to explore further cost reductions that could 

potentially impact the OIG’s ability to provide robust oversight of the Department. 

As we have shared in previous budget requests, with its student loan portfolio (which now 

surpasses $1.6 trillion) the Department is one of the largest financial institutions in the country. 

The Department also administers more than $79 billion in grants each year, making it one of the 

largest grant-making agencies in the Federal government. Further, Department funding flows to 

thousands of entities, including all States and territories, about 13,000 public school districts and 

98,000 public schools, about 5,400 postsecondary institutions, and more than 9.7 million 

postsecondary students and their families each year. Federal education programs are aimed to 

benefit all students, including programs that serve individuals with disabilities, students who live 

in poverty, Native communities, and those with limited English proficiency. Effective 

administration of Federal education programs is critical to the Department’s mission to promote 

student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational 

excellence and ensuring equal access. 

Given the large amount of money for which it is responsible and the complex programs it 

administers, the Department needs sufficient oversight to ensure that its funds are not lost to 

fraud, waste, and abuse—particularly since the effective oversight and monitoring of 

Department programs, operations, and program participants has been and continues to be a 

longstanding management challenge for the Department. As a result, the role of the OIG, as the 

primary oversight entity within the Department, is vital to provide the Congress, the public, and 

America’s students with confidence that the taxpayer dollars that fund the Department are being 

used as required, reaching the intended recipients, and achieving the desired results. 

Despite its strained resources, the OIG has been able to provide impactful oversight of the 

Department. For example, in FY 2023, OIG issued 18 reports identifying over $2.7 million in 

questioned and unsupported costs and closed 66 investigations involving fraud or corruption 

which resulted in 46 indictments, convictions and pleas and about $49.1 million in restitution, 

settlements, fines, recoveries, forfeitures, and estimated savings. The requested $77.497 million 

will allow the OIG to continue its current level of oversight and to position itself to expand its 

oversight into new areas and respond with agility to emerging issues.
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

2

However, the OIG’s oversight capacity is dependent upon the availability of sufficient budgetary 

resources. As such, with its steady state of funding since FY 2016, the OIG has not been able to 

both cover increased operational costs and maintain, much less increase, the number of fulltime equivalent (FTE) employees needed to conduct oversight efforts. Instead, the OIG has 

regularly implemented hiring freezes, in which we limited hiring to only certain mission critical 

positions, and diverted funds intended for FTE to cover increased operational costs. For 

example, in FY 2023, the OIG reduced its FTE by 7 percent to cover anticipated personnel and 

non-personnel cost increases in FY 2024. In addition, the OIG initiated efforts to close or 

consolidate offices and limit staff travel and training to help cover operational expenses. The 

OIG is facing a similar situation in FY 2024. The inability to sustain its FTE levels limits the 

OIG’s ability to provide sufficient oversight of an agency of the size and scope of the 

Department. 

In FYs 2020 and 2021, the OIG received $17 million (including $10 million in no-year funding) to 

carry out its pandemic relief aid oversight work. The availability of this funding helped the OIG 

mitigate its funding shortfalls by diverting personnel to pandemic work to utilize these funds. The 

OIG expects to deplete those funds by the first quarter of FY 2025. The need and demand for 

our oversight work, however, will continue, thus we will have to rely on our annual appropriation 

and FTE to conduct this work. 

With this FY 2025 request, the OIG seeks to have sufficient resources to both cover anticipated 

operational costs and increase FTE. Specifically, this FY 2025 budget request will provide base 

funding for the OIG to: 

• fund 238 FTEs and withstand increased personnel and non-personnel services; 

• absorb increases in overhead not executed by the OIG such as rent, 

telecommunication, interagency agreements, and IT centralized services; 

• ensure that the OIG’s IT systems continue to meet information management and 

security requirements; 

• sustain data analytics capabilities to identify potential criminal activity and trends 

across multiple programs and support OIG investigative efforts to prosecute bad 

actors; 

• conduct mandatory audit-related assignments and continue discretionary oversight 

coverage into other key management challenge areas, including, data quality and 

reporting, oversight and monitoring of student financial assistance programs and 

grantees, and IT security; 

• continue OIG’s oversight of the Department’s implementation of more than $200 billion 

under the pandemic relief laws to assist States, public and nonpublic schools, and 

school districts in meeting the needs of students and allegations of wrongdoing 

reported to the Hotline after the supplemental funding is depleted; and

• cover the cost for OIG's investigators to engage in geographic areas where limited 

resources in recent years have curtailed access but where the OIG believes fraud 

exists at the same level as other States, as well as those areas where U.S. Attorney’s 

Offices have expressed significant interest in working on education-related fraud 

matters.
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

3

Without the FY 2025 request of $77.497 million, the OIG would be forced to: 

• consider other personnel cost reduction measures, such as furloughs, to manage 

personnel costs; 

• curtail pandemic-related work after the depletion of supplemental funds; and

• reduce the geographical engagement and scope of work within high-risk areas.

In addition, the OIG would have limited resources to address stakeholder concerns, emerging 

areas of risk, or new Department programs or responsibilities. 

Since established as the OIG for the Department in 1980, the OIG has delivered impactful 

results for America’s taxpayers and students through its efforts to prevent and detect fraud, 

waste, and abuse, and to promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in the Department’s

programs and operations. It has made significant contributions that better enable the 

Department to meet its mission. Through this budget request, the OIG seeks to continue that 

trend by having the resources to sustain existing oversight coverage of the Department’s 

programs and operations and cover the increasing costs of its operations.
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

4

Appropriations Language

For expenses necessary for the Office of Inspector General, as authorized by section 

212 of the Department of Education Organization Act, $77,497,000, of which $3,000,000 

shall remain available until expended.1 

NOTES 

A full-year 2024 appropriation for this account was not enacted at the time the Budget was prepared; therefore, 

the Budget assumes this account is operating under the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2024 and Other Extensions 

Act (Division A of Public Law 118-15, as amended). The amounts included for 2024 reflect the annualized level 

provided by the continuing resolution. 

Each language provision that is followed by a footnote reference is explained in the Analysis of Language 

Provisions and Changes document which follows the appropriations language.
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

5

Analysis of Language Provisions and Changes

Language Provision Explanation

1...of which $3,000,000, shall remain 

available until expended.

The language provides that of the amount 

appropriated, $3 million would be no-year 

funding. The additional flexibility in funding 

allows the OIG to (1) execute its information 

technology (IT) Modernization initiatives, 

and (2) fund its common support costs, 

which can vary greatly from year to year. 

Common support costs, i.e., costs 

associated with office rental and security 

and shared infrastructure services provided 

by the Department, represent roughly 

10 percent of the OIG’s budget.
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

6 

Amounts Available for Obligation

(dollars in thousands)

Appropriation and Adjustments 2023 2024 2025 

Discretionary appropriation: 

Appropriation $67,500 $67,500 $77,497

Subtotal, appropriation 67,500 67,500 77,497

Transfer from Annual to OIG No-Year Funding -3,000 -3,000 -3,000

Disaster Relief unobligated balance, start of year 841 389 277

CRRSAA Act unobligated balance, start of year 3,214 291 291

American Rescue Plan Act unobligated balance, start of year 5,000 4,604 959

OIG No-Year Funding unobligated balance, start of year 2,325 2,924 1,500

Transfer to OIG No-Year Funding from Annual 3,000 3,000 3,000

Unobligated balance, expiring -237 0 0 

Disaster Relief unobligated balance, end of year -389 -277 -277

CRRSAA Act unobligated balance, end of year -291 -291 -291

American Rescue Plan Act unobligated balance, end of year -4,604 -959 0 

OIG No-Year Funding unobligated balance, end of year -2,924 -1,500 -1,500

Total, direct obligations 70,435 72,681 78,456
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

7 

Obligations by Object Classification, Office of Inspector General

(dollars in thousands)

Object Class

2023 

Actual

2024 

Annualized 

CR

2025 

Request

Change 

from 2024 

to 2025

11.10 Full-time permanent $27,773 $32,313 $36,824 $4,511

11.31 Full-time temporary 707 0 0 0

11.32 Part-time 328 0 0 0

11.51 Overtime 1,888 0 0 0

11.52 Awards 720 746 875 129

Subtotal, Personnel Comp. 31,416 33,059 37,699 4,640 

12.00 Benefits 13,545 14,227 16,247 2,020

Subtotal, Per. Com. & Ben. 44,961 47,286 53,946 6,660 

21.00 Travel 440 546 686 140

22.00 Transportation of things 0 0 12 12

23.10 Rental payments to GSA 5,893 5,497 5,022 -475

23.31 Communications 141 87 100 13

23.32 Postage/fees 3 14 13 -1

Subtotal, 23 6,047 5,598 5,135 -463

24.00 Printing and reproduction 0 0 1 1

25.10

Advisory and assistance 

services 865 0 0 0

25.21 Other services 2,581 3,340 3,460 120

25.22 Training/tuition contracts 192 274 274 0

25.30

Goods/services from Federal

Sources 1,637 1,488 2,165 677 

25.71 Operations/maint of equip. 0 3 28 25

25.72 IT services/contracts 9,329 9,939 9,614 -325

Subtotal, 25 14,604 15,044 15,541 497

26.00 Supplies 46 57 133 76

31.10 IT equipment/software 444 344 1,943 1,599

31.30 Other equipment 109 49 100 51

Subtotal, 31 553 393 2,043 1,650 

32.00 Building alterations 13 0 0 0 

43.10 Prompt payment interest 0 0 0 0

Total, Budget Authority 66,664 68,924 77,497 8,573 
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

8 

Obligations by Object Classification, Supplemental, Disaster Relief

(dollars in thousands)

Obj 

numb

er Object Class

2023 

Actual 

2024

Annualized 

CR

2025 

Request

Change 

from 2024 

to 2025

11.10 Full-time permanent $313 0 0 0

11.31 Full-time temporary 2 $78 0 -$78

11.51 Overtime 3 0 0 0

11.52 Awards 7 0 0 0

Subtotal, Personnel Comp. 325 78 0 -78

12.00 Benefits 127 34 0 -34

Subtotal, Per. Com. & Ben. 452 112 0 -112

21.00 Travel 0 0 0 0

23.31 Communications 0 0 0 0

25.21 Other services 0 0 0 0

25.22 Training/tuition contracts 0 0 0 0

25.72 IT services/contracts 0 0 0 0

Subtotal, 25 0 0 0 0 

26.00 Supplies 0 0 0 0

31.10 IT equipment/software 0 0 0 0

Total, Obligations 452 112 0 -112
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

9 

Obligations by Object Classification, Supplemental, CRRSA Act (P.L. 116-260)

(dollars in thousands)

Obj ect class num ber Object Class

2023

Actual 

2024

Annualized 

CR

2025 

Request

Change 

from 2024 

to 2025

11.10 Full-time permanent $1,435 0 0 0

11.31 Full-time temporary 185 0 0 0

11.32 Part-time 93 0 0 0

11.51 Overtime 54 0 0 0

11.52 Awards 10 0 0 0

Compensation subtotal 1,777 0 0 0 

12.00 Benefits 589 0 0 0

13.00 Benefits for former personnel 0 0 0 0

Comp/benefits subtotal 2,366 0 0 0

21.00 Travel 35 0 0 0

22.00 Transportation of things 0 0 0 0

23.10 Rental payments to GSA 0 0 0 0

23.31 Communications 0 0 0 0

23.32 Postage/fees 0 0 0 0

Subtotal, 23 0 0 0 0 

24.00 Printing and reproduction 0 0 0 0

25.10 Advisory and assistance services 0 0 0 0

25.21 Other services 18 0 0 0

25.22 Training/tuition contracts 35 0 0 0

25.30

Goods/services from Federal 

sources 0 0 0 0

25.40 Operations/maint of facilities 0 0 0 0

25.70 Operations/maint of equip. 0 0 0 0

25.72 IT services/contracts

 

469 0 0 0

Subtotal, 25 469 0 0 0 

26.00 Supplies 0 0 0 0

43.10 Prompt payment interest 0 0 0 0

Total, Obligations 2,923 0 0 0 
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

10

Obligations by Object Classification, Supplemental, ARP Act (P.L. 117-2)

(dollars in thousands)

 Object Class

2023

Actual 

2024

Annualized 

CR

2025 

Request

Change 

from 2024 

to 2025

11.10 Full-time permanent $223 0 0 0

11.31 Full-time temporary 40 $2,167 0 -$2,167

11.32 Part-time 23 0 0 0

11.51 Overtime 10 0 0 0

11.52 Awards 0 0 0 0

Compensation subtotal 296 0 0 0 

12.00 Benefits 100 929 0 -929

13.00 Benefits for former personnel 0 0 0 0

Comp/benefits subtotal 396 3,096 0 -3,096

21.00 Travel 0 63 0 -63

22.00 Transportation of things 0 0 0 0

23.10 Rental payments to GSA 0 0 0 0

23.31 Communications 0 0 0 0

23.32 Postage/fees 0 0 0 0

Subtotal, 23 0 0 0 0 

24.00 Printing and reproduction 0 0 0 0

25.10 Advisory and assistance services 0 0 0 0

25.21 Other services 0 0 0 0

25.22 Training/tuition contracts 0 0 0 0

25.30

Goods/services from Federal 

sources 0 0 0 0

25.40 Operations/maint of facilities 0 0 0 0

25.70 Operations/maint of equip. 0 0 0 0

25.72 IT services/contracts 0 486 959 473

Subtotal, 25 0 486 959 473

26.00 Supplies 0 0 0 0

31.10 IT equipment/software 0 0 0 0

31.30 Other equipment 0 0 0 0

Subtotal, 31 0 0 0 0 

Total, Obligations 396 3,645 959 -2,686
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

11

Summary of Changes

(dollars in thousands)

2024 $67,500

2025 77,497

Net change +9,997

Increases: 2024 base

Change 

from base

Built in:

Increase in salaries and benefits, a 2.0 percent pay 

raise, and projected benefits increases. $46,540 +$2,031

Program:

Increase in salaries and benefits for 21 additional FTE 46,540 +4,500

Awards 746 +129

Training 274 0

Other Equipment 49 +51

Supplies 57 +76

IT Services/Contracts 8,515 +1,099

Other Services 3,340 +120

Changes in other areas 7,965 +1,992

Subtotal, increases +9,998

Decreases: 

2024 

base

Change 

from base

Program:

Postage/Fees 14 -1

Subtotal, decreases -1

Net change +9,997
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

12

Authorizing Legislation

(dollars in thousands)

Activity

2024

Authorized

2024

Annualized CR

2025

Authorized

2025

Request

Inspector General (DEOA, Section 212) Indefinite $67,500 Indefinite $77,497

Total appropriation 67,500 77,497
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

13

Appropriations History

(dollars in thousands)

1 The levels for House and Senate allowances reflect action on the regular annual 2016 appropriations bill, which 

proceeded in the 114th Congress only through the House Committee and Senate Committee.

2 The levels for the House and Senate allowances reflect Committee action on the regular annual 2017 appropriations 

bill; the Appropriation reflects the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017.

3 The level for the House allowance reflects floor action on the Omnibus appropriation bill; the Senate allowance 

reflects Committee action on the regular annual 2018 appropriations bill; the Appropriation reflects the Consolidated 

Appropriations Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-141). 4 The levels for the House and Senate Allowance reflect Committee action on the regular annual 2019 appropriations 

bill; the Appropriation reflects enactment of the Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and 

Education Appropriations Act, 2019 (P.L. 115-245). 5 The Senate Allowance reflects the Chairman’s mark; the Appropriation reflects the Further Consolidated 

Appropriations Act, 2020 (P.L. 116-94). 6 The Appropriation reflects the supplemental funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (P.L. 

116-136). 7 The level for the House allowance reflects subcommittee action. The level for the Senate Allowance reflects the 

Chairman’s mark; the Appropriation reflects Division H of the FY 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (P.L. 

116-260). 8 The Appropriation reflects supplemental funds from Division M of the FY 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 

(P.L. 116-260). 9 The Appropriation reflects the American Rescue Plan Act of FY 2021 (P.L. 117-2). 10 The House allowance reflects floor action on the FY 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act; the Senate allowance 

reflects the Chairman’s mark; and the Appropriation reflects the annualized continuing resolution level. 11 The house allowance reflects the regular annual FY 2023 appropriation, which was introduced on the floor, the 

Senate allowance reflects the Chairman’s mark; and the Appropriation reflects the Consolidated Appropriations Act

(P.L. 117-328). 12 The House allowance reflects Subcommittee action, and the Senate allowance reflects Committee action on the 

regular annual 2024 appropriations bill; the Appropriation reflects the annualized continuing resolution level. 

Year

Budget 

Estimate

to Congress

House 

Allowance

Senate 

Allowance Appropriation

20161 $59,181 N/A $58,791 $57,791

20172 59,256 $59,256 59,791 59,256

20183 61,941 59,256 59,256 59,256

20194 61,143 59,256 61,143 61,143

20205 63,418 67,418 61,143 63,000

2020 CARES Supplemental6 0 0 0 7,000

20217 68,019 64,000 63,000 63,000

2021 CRRSAA Supplemental8 0 0 0 5,000

2021 Mandatory ARP Supp9 0 0 0 5,000

202210 70,115 70,115 70,115 64,000

202311 76,452 76,452 77,000 67,500

202412 87,497 60,000 67,500 67,500

2025 77,497
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

14

Office of Inspector General 

(Department of Education Organization Act, Section 212)

(dollars in thousands)

FY 2025 Authorization: Indefinite 

Budget Authority:

Period of fund availability: 

2024 Annualized CR 2025 Request Change

Personnel Compensation and 

Benefits Costs

$47,286 $53,903 +$6,617

Non-Personnel Costs 20,214 23,594 +3,380

Total 67,500 77,497 +9,997

FTE 2171 2382 +21

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The U.S. Department of Education (Department) Office of Inspector General (OIG) is an 

independent entity within the Department with the statutory responsibility to promote the 

efficiency, effectiveness, and integrity of the Department’s programs and operations through 

independent and objective audits, investigations, inspections, and other activities.

Through audit-related work, the OIG seeks to ensure that Department programs are operating in 

accordance with established laws, regulations, and policies. Based on its findings, it makes 

recommendations to improve program efficiency, address systemic weaknesses, and initiate 

administrative action. Its work may also recommend changes needed in Federal laws, 

regulations, and policies. In its investigative work, it operates with full statutory law enforcement 

authority, conducting criminal, civil, and administrative investigations involving fraud, 

embezzlement, public corruption, cybercrime, and other violations of law involving Department 

funds and operations. The OIG also conducts information technology (IT) reviews to assist the 

Department in identifying risks and recommending actions to improve security and management 

of its numerous data systems. In addition, it fulfills its statutory requirement to ensure that work 

performed by non-Federal auditors involving Department program participants, grantees and 

subgrantees complies with Government Auditing Standards. This includes conducting desk 

reviews and quality control reviews of non-Federal audits. Each year, the OIG issues about 

20 audit-related reports, carries a caseload of more than 200 criminal and civil investigations, 

and completes more than 75 desk and quality control reviews.

In all its work and efforts, the OIG seeks to ensure integrity in the Department’s operations and 

programs by identifying problems or deficiencies and recommending actions to improve them. It 

1 Fiscal Year 2024 FTE total excludes CRRSA and ARP Act FTE. 2 Fiscal Year 2025 FTE total excludes CRRSA and ARP Act FTE.
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

15

shares information on its organizational goals and initiatives, planned and completed work, 

performance measures and results via the OIG website1

, where the public can obtain copies of 

our audit-related reports and news on its investigations. The website also hosts the OIG Hotline2

where the public can submit allegations of fraud, waste, or abuse involving Department funds, 

programs, or operations, as well as file whistleblower reprisal complaints. Allegations can be 

reported in six languages. The OIG Hotline also includes a toll-free phone number (1-800-

MISUSED) for the public to report or receive assistance in reporting their allegations to the OIG. 

The OIG Hotline receives about 300 complaints via email and 200 telephone contacts each 

month. The OIG also receives over 100 complaints per month through Federal Student Aid’s 

(FSA) feedback system.

The OIG’s multidisciplinary workforce is composed of criminal investigators, auditors, inspectors, 

attorneys, financial and forensic analysts, IT specialists, and other business professionals. This 

workforce integrates diverse professional skills, tools, and perspectives to review complicated 

and multi-layered programs, propose impactful recommendations for improving programs and 

operations, and tackle complex and sophisticated fraud schemes. The OIG uses its workforce 

strategically to promote efficiency and effectiveness in Department programs and operations, 

and to address fraud and abuse through prevention, detection, and, when necessary, 

enforcement.

As of this submission date, the OIG conducts its work via 17 office locations3 across the country. 

However, due to significant financial challenges facing the OIG, the OIG initiated an effort in 

fiscal year 2023 to reduce space at several of its offices to reduce cost and sustain its staff. The 

OIG identified six offices to decommission and move to low cost or no cost shared space with 

other agencies beginning in 2024 and seven offices for space reduction during fiscal year 2025. 

In fiscal year 2025, the OIG anticipates about 40 percent of the OIG staff will be assigned to the 

OIG’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., and 60 percent of its staff will be assigned to one of its 

regional offices.

1 https://oig.ed.gov/

2 https://oig.ed.gov/oig-hotline 3 https://oig.ed.gov/sites/default/files/document/2023-06/oig-regional-offices-june-2023_0.pdf
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

16

The OIG is composed of six components: the Immediate Office, Audit Services, Investigation 

Services, Technology Services, Legal Services, and Management Services. The following pages 

provide more information about these components and their work.

Immediate Office of the Inspector General

The Immediate Office of the Inspector General is responsible for the coordination and oversight 

of the OIG’s mission. In addition to providing overall leadership and setting the direction of the 

OIG, the Immediate Office also provides internal management support; Congressional, media, 

and public liaison; communications services; oversight of external reporting of activities; and the 

organization’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility efforts. The Immediate Office is 

composed of the Inspector General, the Deputy Inspector General, and their executive staff

along with three direct report offices: the Quality and Integrity Group, Congressional and 

Communications Services, and the Chief Diversity Officer.

Quality and Integrity Group

The Quality and Integrity Group provides internal oversight of the OIG and its employees, 

ensuring compliance, accountability, and ongoing improvement throughout the 

organization. Organizationally structured within the Immediate Office, the Quality and 

Integrity Group is independent of other IG components. The Quality and Integrity Group 

conducts internal quality assurance reviews and internal control assessments of OIG 

activities, conducts internal investigations into allegations of misconduct by OIG 

personnel, and facilitates the OIG’s enterprise risk management activities.

Congressional and Communications Services

Congressional and Communications Services coordinates communications between the 

OIG and the Congress, the media, and the public. Congressional and Communications 

Services produces materials for external and internal audiences, manages the OIG 
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

17

public-facing website and social media accounts (Facebook/Meta, Twitter/X, and 

LinkedIn), and produces the OIG’s Eye on ED podcast. Congressional and 

Communications Services also provides editing, writing, and graphic design services to 

all OIG components and facilitates OIG internal communications and events.

Chief Diversity Officer

The Chief Diversity Officer leads the OIG’s effort to ensure integration of diversity, equity, 

inclusion, and accessibility into its business processes, building an inclusive workplace 

environment, and retaining, developing, advancing, and recruiting a diverse and talented 

OIG team.

Audit Services

Audit Services is responsible for audit and other related activities aimed at improving Department 

programs and operations, including Federal student aid, K–12 schools, charter schools, special 

education, vocational education, adult education, and more. Audit Services conducts internal and 

external audits, inspections, and quick response work designed to improve Department 

programs and operations. When Audit Services identifies problems, it proposes solutions to help 

ensure Department programs and operations run as effectively and efficiently as possible. Audit 

Services also recommends changes needed in Federal laws and the implementation of 

regulations. The work of Audit Services, often conducted at the request of the Congress, can 

have a significant impact on some of the most important Federal education laws in the country, 

including the Higher Education Act, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and the 

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Investigation Services

Investigation Services is composed of law enforcement professionals who conduct criminal and 

civil investigations involving Department programs, operations, and funds. Investigation Services’ 

special agents investigate suspected fraudulent activities by Department employees, contractors, 

grant recipients, and school officials—in essence any entity or individual that awards, disburses, 

receives Department funds or participates in its programs. Investigation Services also 

investigates cybercrime affecting and involving the use of Department IT systems. In addition, 

Investigation Services maintains the OIG Hotline, and operates a full-time, state-of-the-art 

computer laboratory for conducting and coordinating digital forensic and data analysis. 

Investigation Services also conducts outreach and fraud awareness briefings with strategic 

partners and collaborates with other OIG components to develop appropriate actions to identify 

programs vulnerable to fraud.

Technology Services

Technology Services leverages technology to provide products and services that enhance and 

advance the OIG’s mission. Technology Services conducts IT audits and security reviews, such 

as the OIG’s annual Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) audit, which 

identify risks and offer recommendations to improve the Department’s management of its IT 

systems. Technology Services also provides data analytics in support of the OIG audits, 

inspections, and investigations, and it maintains the OIG’s systems, IT infrastructure, and 

security posture.
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

18

Legal Services

Legal Services manages the OIG’s legal, ethics, and Freedom of Information Act programs. 

Legal Services’ attorneys provide advice and assistance to the Inspector General and OIG staff 

on a full range of subjects, including Federal education law; administrative, criminal, and civil law 

and procedure; civil False Claims Act matters, and mandatory National Defense Authorization 

Act reprisal investigations. Its attorneys represent the OIG in administrative litigation before the 

Merit Systems Protection Board and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. OIG 

attorneys review OIG audit, inspection, and other reports, administrative subpoenas, 

memoranda, policy, contracts, agreements, and personnel actions issued or entered by the OIG 

for legal sufficiency and compliance with Federal statutes and regulatory requirements. OIG 

attorneys also provide oral or written legal opinions and guidance to OIG staff on Department 

programs and OIG operations. They also administer the Federal ethics program for OIG staff and 

act as liaison to the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney’s Office in criminal and civil 

matters.

Management Services

Management Services provides administrative and management support to the Inspector 

General and all OIG components. Management Services also formulates, executes, and 

oversees the OIG budget; develops and maintains administrative and management policy and 

procedures; performs human resource support activities; performs facilities and properties 

management duties; and fulfills the OIG’s external reporting requirements relating to business 

support operations.

Funding levels for the past 5 fiscal years were:

Fiscal Year (dollars in thousands)

2020 63,000

2020 CARES Act 7,000

2021 63,000

2021 CRRSA Act 5,000

2021 ARP Act 5,000

2022 63,000

2023 67,500

2024 Annualized CR 67,500

FY 2025 BUDGET REQUEST

For fiscal year 2025, the Administration requests $77.497 million for the Office of Inspector 

General, $9.997 million more than a fiscal year 2024 annualized CR based on the fiscal year 

2023 appropriation to provide independent, objective oversight of the Department’s operations 

and programs. The requested funding level includes $3.0 million in no-year funding to allow for 

much-needed flexibility to cover frequent, unanticipated year-end expenses and any cost 

overruns associated with the required IT modernization upgrades. The $77.497 million includes

$53.9 million (70 percent) necessary for personnel benefits and compensation, $14.3 million 

(18 percent) for overhead expenses, and $9.2 million (12 percent) for other non-personnel 

expenses such as maintaining and securing OIG’s four IT systems. 
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

19

At the fiscal year 2025 requested funding level, the OIG will have the ability to cover increased 

operational cost and fund 238 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees, which would allow us to 

backfill positions left vacant during our limited hiring freeze. The $77.497 million includes 

$6.6 million to cover increased personnel costs, $1.6 million to cover IT equipment; $1.1 million 

in IT support; and $0.7 million in other services which will allow the OIG to sustain its audit, 

inspection, and investigative efforts in providing oversight of the Department’s expanding and 

diverse programs, operations, and funding. 

With this fiscal year 2025 request, the OIG would have resources to endure the OIG’s 

increased operational cost to perform oversight coverage. Specifically, this fiscal year 2025 

budget request will provide base funding for the OIG to: 

• sustain FTE numbers despite increased operational costs, which include costs 

associated with common support and general personnel and on-personnel services;

• absorb increases in overhead not executed by the OIG such as rent, 

telecommunication, interagency agreements, and centralized IT services;

• upgrade the OIG’s four IT systems continue to meet information management and 

security requirements, ensuring that sensitive, nonpublic information is secure and 

handled in compliance with all relevant Federal laws, policies, and standards;

• sustain data analytics capabilities to identify potential criminal activity and trends 

across multiple programs and to support OIG investigative efforts to prosecute bad 

actors;

• conduct all mandatory audit-related assignments and continue discretionary oversight 

coverage into key management challenge areas, including, data quality and reporting, 

oversight and monitoring of student financial assistance programs and grantees, and IT 

security;

• cover the cost to continue the OIG’s oversight of the Department’s administration and 

implementation of programs, totaling more than $200 billion, under the pandemic relief 

laws to assist States, public and nonpublic schools, and school districts in meeting the 

needs of students and addressing allegations of wrongdoing reported to the OIG 

Hotline after the supplemental funding is depleted; and

• cover the cost for OIG's investigators to engage in geographic areas where limited 

resources in recent years have curtailed access but where the OIG believes fraud 

exists at the same level as other States, as well as those areas where U.S. Attorney’s 

Offices have expressed significant interest in working on education-related fraud 

matters.

Without the fiscal year 2025 request of $77.497 million, the OIG would be forced to: 

• consider additional personnel costs reduction measures, such as furloughs, to offset 

increased operational costs;

• curtail pandemic-related work after the depletion of supplemental funds during the first 

quarter; and 

• reduce the amount, scope, and geographical areas of oversight coverage.

In addition, the OIG would have limited resources to address stakeholder concerns, emerging 

areas of risk, and new Department programs or responsibilities. 
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

20

Since fiscal year 2016, the OIG’s appropriation has not grown sufficiently to keep pace with the 

increased operating costs caused by inflation and personnel costs. (See figure below.) As a 

result, the OIG has had to reduce its operations to account for the funding shortfall.

Fiscal Year 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025

Funding $59.2 $59.2 $61.1 $61.1 $63 $63 $64 $67.5 $67.5 $77.5

Adjusted Operating 

Cost

$59.2 $60.4 $61.9 $63 $63.7 $66.7 $72.1 $75.1 $77.5 $75.51

Since fiscal year 2019, the OIG has operated at levels far less than it planned due to reduced 

funding (see figure below), impacting OIG’s ability to fully meet the demands for services. In 

fiscal year 2022, the receipt of supplemental funds during fiscal year 2021, afforded OIG the 

opportunity to increase its FTEs to provide more oversight of the billions of dollars that were 

allocated to assist States, K–12 schools, school districts, and institutions of higher education in 

meeting their needs and the needs of their students. However, because of the funding shortfall 

in fiscal year 2023, the OIG had to reduce FTEs and implement limited hiring freezes to 

maintain its operations. 

1 Due to the inflation rate not being available for fiscal year 2024, we flat lined the adjusted operating cost in fiscl year

2025.

 $-

 $20.00

 $40.00

 $60.00

 $80.00

 $100.00

2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025

OIG Funding Compared to FY 2016 Operating Cost 

Adjusted for Inflation

(dollars in millions)

Funding Adjusted Operating Cost
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

21

In addition to reducing FTE level, the OIG has had to implement several cost-saving efforts to

sustain operations in fiscal year 2023 that will continue throughout fiscal year 2024. These 

efforts included a hiring freeze with very limited exceptions; significant reductions in travel for 

staff to locations outside their immediate areas except for mission-critical assignments, such as 

special agents conducting investigative activities (e.g., conducting interviews, executing search 

and arrest warrants, and testifying at trials); limited paid trainings for staff unless required under 

professional standards or other policy for staff to conduct their work; the cancellation of or 

reductions in contracts to cover the minimal level necessary that support vital operations or for 

services required by statute, regulation, or guidance and the decommissioning or decreasing 

footprint of OIG offices. 

In fiscal year 2025, a $77.497 million appropriation represents a much-needed investment in 

the OIG’s personnel and operations to provide oversight of critical areas of risk to the 

Departments programs and the students and others who benefit from them. This includes a 

slight increase in our FTE level, key to the OIG conducting the essential oversight work 

described in the OIG Response and Oversight section of this request, required funding for 

operational cost to maintain and secure the OIGs four IT systems; travel to carry out its work 

throughout the country; training to maintain a highly skilled workforce; address 

telecommunications requirements ahead of office moves; cover anticipated and unanticipated 

increases in contractor support for our most complex statutory audits; and address rising costs 

associated with IT security and data analytics.

Critical Risks Facing the Department 

The OIG must focus its resources on the most critical risks to the Department, as they could 

expose the Department or the public it serves to misuse of funds, public corruption, distance 

education fraud, network intrusion, cybersecurity threats, identity theft, and pandemic funded 

program frauds. Many of these risks are outlined in the OIG’s statutory report on fiscal year

2024 Management Challenges Facing the U.S Department of Education1, which identified the 

following seven management challenges the Department faces as it continues its efforts to 

1 https://oig.ed.gov/sites/default/files/reports/2023-12/Final-Report-FY-2024-Management-Challenges-Facing-U-SDepartment-Education-508-Compliant.pdf

243 

237 237 

243 

236 

221 

227 228 

231 

238 

232 232 230

219

212

217

213

230

214

 195

 200

 205

 210

 215

 220

 225

 230

 235

 240

 245

 250

2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025

OIG Requested versus Actual Full-Time Equivalent Employees

(As of the Beginning of the Fiscal Year)

Requested Actual
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

22

promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering 

educational excellence and ensuring equal access:

1. Implementing Pandemic Relief Laws for Elementary and Secondary Education.

The implementation of the pandemic relief laws for elementary and secondary 

education poses challenges for the Department as it must effectively oversee and 

monitor new grant programs and ensure that quality data are reported. The Department 

was provided with more than $200 billion under three major pandemic relief laws to 

assist States, public and nonpublic schools, and school districts in meeting their needs 

and the needs of students impacted by the pandemic. In addition to its pandemic reliefrelated oversight responsibilities, the Department must also oversee more than 100 

other grant programs.

2. Implementing Pandemic Relief Laws for Higher Education. Implementation of the 

pandemic relief laws for higher education poses challenges for the Department as it 

must effectively oversee and monitor more than $76 billion for the Higher Education 

Emergency Relief Fund, implement additional student financial assistance program 

requirements, and ensure that quality data are reported. In addition to these 

responsibilities, the Department must oversee existing higher education grant programs, 

Federal student loan programs, and the Federal student loan portfolio.

3. Oversight and Monitoring of Student Financial Assistance Programs. FSA 

disburses about $112 billion in Federal student aid to some 10 million individuals each 

year and manages or oversees an outstanding loan portfolio valued at more than 

$1.6 trillion. FSA also oversees approximately 5,400 postsecondary institutions that 

participate in the Federal student aid programs. In fiscal year 2023, FSA performed 

these functions with an administrative budget of approximately $2 billion and about 

1,400 employees, along with contractors that provide outsourced business operations. 

With the size, scope, and financial outlay involved in the Federal student aid programs, 

the importance of effective oversight and monitoring of its programs, operations, and 

funding is vital.

4. Oversight and Monitoring of Grantees. Effective oversight and monitoring of the 

Department’s programs and operations are critical to ensure that funds are used for the 

purposes intended and programs are achieving goals and objectives. This is a 

significant responsibility for the Department given the numbers of different entities and 

programs requiring monitoring and oversight, the amount of funding that flows through 

the Department, and the impact that ineffective monitoring could have on stakeholders. 

The Department administers more than 100 grant programs that annually serve about 

55 million elementary and secondary students attending 98,000 public schools and 

30,000 private schools, many of these programs also serve other types of students, 

extending from early learning through adult education. 

The Department awards discretionary grants using competitive processes and priorities, 

and formula grants using formulas established by Congress. In all cases, the 

Department’s activities are governed by the program authorizing legislation and 

implementing regulations. One of the key programs that the Department administers is 

Title I, Part A, which provided about $18.3 billion in fiscal year 2023 for local programs 

that provide extra academic support to help an estimated 25 million students in highpoverty schools meet State academic standards. Another key program is Individuals 

with Disabilities Education Act, Part B Grants to States, which provided more than 
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

23

$14.2 billion in fiscal year 2023 to help States and school districts meet the special 

educational needs of an estimated 7.5 million students with disabilities.

5. Data Quality and Reporting. The Department collects data from numerous sources, 

including States, postsecondary institutions, and surveys of private schools, public 

elementary and secondary schools, students, teachers, and principals. The Department, 

its grantees, and its subrecipients must have effective controls to ensure that reported 

data are accurate and complete, as it relies on program data to evaluate program 

performance and inform management decisions. 

6. Improper Payments. “Improper payments” are payments the government makes to the 

wrong person, in the wrong amount, or for the wrong reason. Although not all improper 

payments are fraudulent or represent a loss to the government, all improper payments 

degrade the integrity of government programs and compromise citizens’ trust in 

government. The Department must ensure that the billions of dollars entrusted to it 

reach the intended recipients. In fiscal year 2023, the Department identified the Federal 

Pell grant, Direct Loan, Title I, Education Stabilization Fund, and Special Education 

Grants to States for Education of Children with Disabilities programs as being 

susceptible to significant improper payments. 

7. IT Security. The Department’s systems house millions of sensitive records on students, 

their parents, and others, and are used to process billions of dollars in education 

funding. These systems are primarily operated and maintained by contractors and are 

accessed by thousands of authorized people (including Department employees, 

contractor employees, and other third parties such as school financial aid 

administrators). According to information on ITDashboard.gov, the Department expects 

to spend more than $1 billion on IT for fiscal year 2024. Considering increased 

occurrences of high-profile data breaches (public and private sector), the importance of 

safeguarding the Department’s information and information systems cannot be 

understated. Protecting this complex IT infrastructure from constantly evolving cyber 

threats is an enormous responsibility and challenge.

OIG Response and Oversight

This fiscal year 2025 budget request provides the OIG with opportunities to focus its oversight 

efforts on high-risk areas and maintain its ability to provide oversight of the Department’s 

programs, operations, and funding. Should the OIG receive the fiscal year 2025 requested 

funding level of $77.497 million, $3 million in no-year funding, it could absorb the increased 

costs noted above and support an FTE level of 238. The fiscal year 2025 budget request 

would allow the OIG to respond to efforts in what we see to be critical risks facing the 

Department (see section Critical Risks Facing the Department) with the following oversight 

and activities:

Pandemic Relief Aid Oversight

In fiscal years 2020 and 2021, the OIG received $17 million ($10 million in no-year 

funding) to carry out its pandemic relief aid oversight work. This funding was authorized 

and appropriated via the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security1 (CARES) Act 

($7 million), the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021-Coronavirus Response and 

1 https://www.congress.gov/116/plaws/publ136/PLAW-116publ136.pdf
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

24

Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act1 ($5 million), and the American Rescue Plan2

($5 million). The OIG’s CARES Act funding expired at the end of fiscal year 2022, and 

the OIG is on course to expend the remainder of this supplemental funding by the first 

quarter of fiscal year 2025. Although the OIG will largely have completed the audit, 

inspection, and related work planned for the funding by that time, there will be auditrelated and investigative work still to do. This may include audit, inspection, and related 

work involving external entities where closer scrutiny may be needed, and criminal 

investigations often occur (and extend) long after the Department’s obligation of the 

funding and grantee and subgrantee spending. For example, we know there is 

tremendous interest in the Congress, the press, and the public in schools’ use of 

Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds, which school 

districts will continue to spend into the 2024–2025 school year. This means that the OIG 

should conduct ESSER work well into fiscal years 2025 and 2026 to review how those 

funds were spent. Investigations wise, complex fraud schemes can take several years 

to develop and investigate, with additional time needed for investigative support to the 

Department of Justice during the prosecution, which will also run well beyond fiscal year

2025. Further, due to the limited ability to receive subrecipient data specific to pandemic 

relief aid, the OIG invested in advanced analytical tools and intelligence to identify risks 

associated with pandemic relief aid programs to prioritize our oversight activities. We 

may need to direct $800,000 of our annual appropriations to maintain these important 

tools. 

Since fiscal year 2020, the OIG has relied on supplemental funding to sustain a team of 

as many as 26 temporary and rehired annuitants to help carry out our pandemic 

oversight work. As our supplemental funding is expended and their term agreements 

expire, these employees are leaving the OIG. At present, only two remain. As a result, 

the OIG will need to rely on its base FTE and funding to carry out its remaining 

pandemic oversight work. In fiscal year 2025, the OIG will no longer have access to the 

resources provided by the temporary and rehired annuitants. As such, the OIG fiscal 

year 2025 appropriation must be at a level where it can increase FTE levels to at least 

its fiscal year 2023 levels so that it can continue its oversight work in the absence of 

supplemental appropriations-funded term employees.

Audit and Inspection Capabilities

For the last 8 years, the OIG has completed about 23 audit-related reviews annually, 

including inspections. However, many of these products, such as financial statement, IT 

security, and improper payment audits, are required to be completed annually with 

additional oversight reviews conducted periodically by statute. The need to perform 

these mandated reviews have limited the number of discretionary assignments we can 

conduct in a fiscal year. Further, as the OIG focused its limited discretionary work in 

areas posing the most significant risk or impact to the Department, it left several

programs and operations free from OIG oversight that could result in the Department 

strengthening controls to address weaknesses and reduce opportunities for fraud. Due 

to our staffing limitations, the OIG has not been able to take on the unplanned, high 

priority assignments often requested by its stakeholders in a timely manner without 

postponing or canceling other priority work. This is unacceptable for an organization 

with the financial and programmatic responsibilities of the Department. With our present 

1 https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/133/text 2 https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1319/text
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

25

financial posture and outlook, continued hiring freezes and not backfilling positions as 

they become vacant, it is only with an increase in our fiscal year 2025 budget that the 

OIG will have the opportunity to increase—albeit even slightly—its level of oversight and 

audit-related capabilities needed to oversee an agency with the financial and 

programmatic responsibilities of the Department. With the additional staff included in the 

fiscal year 2025 request, the OIG will be able to backfill staff and 

o more effectively cover multiple external entities (such as States) simultaneously and 

complete work in a timelier fashion. 

o continue audit and inspection coverage of emerging areas and programs and 

operations with heightened risk; and

o conduct audit, inspection, and investigative work to cover the following priorities and 

high-risk areas.

 Student Financial Assistance Programs

o Contractors. FSA relies heavily on contractors to operate its computer 

systems and perform many of the functions necessary to process, award, 

service, and account for student aid. The OIG has consistently identified 

problems with FSA’s contract oversight. Planned and ongoing work includes 

FSA’s implementation of the Student Aid and Borrower Eligibility Reform 

Initiative and FSA’s transition plans for Business Process Operations 

vendors. 

o Postsecondary Institutions. The OIG may conduct audits and inspections 

of proprietary, nonprofit, and public schools. The interests of schools may 

not always align with the purposes of the Federal student financial 

assistance programs and could harm students and lead to the misuse of 

Federal funds. This may include work based on referrals from program 

offices or program participants, hotline allegations, or other information that 

indicates specific institutions warrant review.

o Oversight and Monitoring of Student Financial Assistance Program 

Participants. The OIG’s audits and inspections of FSA’s oversight of 

program participants, schools, lenders, and servicers have consistently 

identified weaknesses. Planned and ongoing work includes FSA’s oversight 

of institutions of higher education reporting of foreign gifts and contracts 

under Section 117, the Department’s assessment, and recoupment of 

liabilities from closed colleges, FSA’s implementation of its Unified Servicing 

and Data Solution and student borrowers’ return to repayment. Additional 

work may also include areas such as student loan forgiveness, the Free 

Application for Federal Student Aid, and higher education rules.

 Postsecondary Grant Programs

o Student Support Services Program. The Student Support Services 

Program is intended to increase the number of disadvantaged low-income 

college students, first-generation college students, and college students with 

disabilities in the United States who successfully complete a program of 

study at the postsecondary level. Planned work includes a review of the 

Department’s related risk assessment and monitoring processes. 

 State and Local Programs

o Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). ESSA reauthorized the Elementary 

and Secondary Education Act. ESSA is a departure from its predecessor, as 

it provides States with more flexibility and control over education policy. 
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

26

Planned and ongoing work includes reviews of States’ implementation of 

their ESSA State plans, focusing specifically on Statewide accountability 

systems and required assessments, and the Department’s oversight 

processes to ensure that the plans are being followed. 

o Safe and Supportive Schools. The Department’s Office of Safe and 

Supportive Schools administers, coordinates, and recommends policy as 

well as administers grant programs and technical assistance centers 

addressing the overall safe and health school community. Planned work 

includes a review of the Department’s monitoring of the School-Based 

Mental Health Services program.

o School Support and Accountability. The Title I, Part D program is 

intended to improve educational services for individuals in local and State 

institutions for neglected or delinquent children and youth, provide services 

needed for individuals to make a successful transition from 

institutionalization to further schooling or employment, and prevent at-risk 

youth from dropping out of school. Ongoing work includes a review of 

selected States’ programmatic oversight activities. 

o Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. Among other programs and activities, 

this Act included $1 billion to establish safer and healthier learning 

environments, and to prevent and respond to acts of bullying, violence, and 

hate that impact school communities at individual and systemic levels. The 

Department designated this component of the Act as the Stronger 

Connections Grant Program. Planned work includes an assessment of the 

Department’s processes process to review recipients’ Stronger Connections 

programmatic reporting. 

 Departmental Operations

o Financial Statements Audit. In accordance with the Inspector General Act 

of 1978, as amended, and the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990, as 

amended, the OIG oversees the financial statement audits. The audits 

examine and analyze account balances, review applicable financial systems,

and evaluate internal controls and compliance with certain laws, regulations, 

contracts, and grant agreements. The audits also assess the fair 

presentation of the financial statements, make recommendations for 

improving financial management and accountability, and identify areas 

requiring further review by management. For the last 2 years, the auditors 

issued a disclaimer of opinion on both the Department's and FSA's financial 

statements. This is significant as the auditors were unable to obtain sufficient

appropriate audit evidence on which to base the opinion, thus the possible 

effects on the financial statements of undetected misstatements, if any, 

could be both material and pervasive. 

o FISMA. Title III of the E-Government Act, the Federal Information Security 

Management Act of 2002, as amended by FISMA, requires inspectors 

general to perform independent evaluations of the effectiveness of their 

agency’s information security programs. The requested funding will result in 

reports on the effectiveness of general and technical IT security controls of 

the Department’s mission-critical and support systems and the Department’s 

overall information security plans, programs, and practices. Recent FISMA 

reviews found that the Department’s security program and practices were 

operating at an effective level of security; however, our FISMA reviews 

continue to identify areas needing improvement.
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

27

o Improper Payments. The Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019 

requires each agency’s inspector general to determine the agency’s 

compliance with the statute for each fiscal year. As part of this review, the 

OIG also evaluates various actions concerning improper payments taken by 

the agency. Our recent reviews have found that the Department reported 

improper payment and unknown payment estimates for several of its 

programs, and it estimates for others were not reliable.

 Non-Federal Audit Activities

o The Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, requires that inspectors 

general take appropriate steps to ensure that any work performed by nonFederal auditors complies with Government Auditing Standards. To fulfill 

these requirements, the OIG performs several activities, including conducting 

desk reviews and quality control reviews of non-Federal audits, providing 

technical assistance, and issuing audit guides to help independent public 

accountants or audit organizations performing audits of participants in the 

Department’s programs.

Criminal, Civil, and Administrative Investigations

The OIG strives to investigate all allegations of fraud, corruption, and other criminal 

activity involving the Department’s funds and programs. Due to staffing limitations, the 

OIG has focused its efforts on statutory investigations (i.e., whistleblower reprisal 

complaints) and matters of the highest priority that would have the most significant 

impact on the Department’s programs and operations. This fiscal year 2025 budget 

request would allow the OIG to hire additional criminal investigators so it can expand 

the investigative caseload and coverage, including the following: 

o Investigative outreach to geographic areas where it has not been in recent years, 

but where it believes fraud exists at the same level as other States. The additional 

funding will allow the OIG to focus its efforts both in disadvantaged socioeconomic 

areas where education funds are disbursed and in areas where U.S. Attorneys have 

expressed significant interest. 

o Optimize data analytics and improve its ability to identify and combat new and 

emerging high-tech fraud schemes.

o OIG investigative reach and efforts will increase in the following high-risk areas:

 Postsecondary Education Fraud. The OIG will continue its focus on fraud 

involving postsecondary education, which have long represented the largest 

concentration of education program dollars at risk. Recent examples of this type of 

fraud included a nurse practitioner who was charged in a $10 million, Total and 

Permanent Disability fraud scheme, and a school owner who agreed to pay 

$1 million to settle allegations that they improperly influenced the school’s Student 

Loan Default Rate. 

 Elementary and Secondary Education Fraud. The OIG will continue its focus on 

allegations of bribery and theft involving State and local public-school officials. 

Although this fraud is not new, the OIG is seeing new types of schemes, such as 

Alabama school officials who engaged in a scheme to defraud the State’s virtual 

education program about $4.9 million. With the additional opportunities for States 

and schools to utilize Department funding for construction and tutoring contracts, the 

OIG would be better positioned to assist stakeholders in identifying and preventing, 
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

28

fraud in these areas. This would also include fraud investigations involving charter 

schools, where the OIG has long identified vulnerabilities to fraud.

 Distance Education Fraud. The OIG will continue to take on criminal investigations 

involving fraud resulting from the vulnerabilities associated with the delivery of 

distance education, rather than limiting its efforts on those cases with the most 

significant financial loss. For the last several years, it has referred to the Department 

distance education matters not investigated by the OIG, totaling more than 

$14.9 million in potential fraud.

 Network Intrusion and Cybercrime. As the Department’s data systems house the 

personally identifiable information of millions of student loan borrowers and their 

families, the OIG will continue to prioritize efforts to detect intrusions and 

unauthorized access into the Department’s systems and criminal misuse of the 

Department’s systems and electronic data. Further, the OIG will continue its 

investigative efforts with Federal and State prosecutorial partners in identifying and 

prosecuting unscrupulous individuals and entities that misuse Department data 

systems for criminal purposes, such as third-party debt relief companies. At the 

fiscal year 2025 requested level, the OIG will be able to employ new tools and 

techniques to identify new and emergency threats and conduct advanced digital 

forensics in support of high-technology investigations. 

 Pandemic Relief Aid Investigations. As noted above, although the OIG’s 

supplemental pandemic appropriation is expected to be depleted by the first quarter 

of fiscal year 2025, its work, however, will not, most notably its investigative work. 

The OIG must continue to detect fraud and conduct criminal investigations resulting 

from vulnerabilities associated with the diversion of pandemic relief aid funds or the 

illegal interference with the Department’s ability to effectively provide authorized 

assistance. In fiscal year 2023, the OIG conducted 54 preliminary inquiries that 

involved pandemic relief funding and currently have 34 open investigations.

OIG Hotline 

Investigation Services also maintains the OIG Hotline, which is statutorily required and 

provides an opportunity for the public to report suspected fraud, waste, and abuse 

involving Department programs, operations, and funding. Allegations can be reported in 

six languages. The OIG Hotline includes a toll-free phone number (1-800-MISUSED) for 

the public to report or receive assistance in reporting their allegations to the OIG. The 

OIG Hotline receives about 300 complaints via email and 200 telephone contacts each 

month. The OIG also receives over 100 complaints per month through FSA’s feedback 

system. 

IT Security, Oversight, and Data Analytics 

Along with being able to continue IT security-related reviews, the OIG will be able to the 

following: 

o Conduct additional data analytics projects to proactively identify criminal activity 

impacting the Department’s programs, examine the effectiveness of its programs, 

and proactively identify misuse, theft, and other criminal activity involving the 

Department’s funds.

o Conduct more robust vulnerability assessments to greatly increase the OIG’s ability 

to identify and report security threats against the Department’s IT infrastructure. 

Protect against the loss or compromise of sensitive information. 
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

29

o Expand predictive analytics capabilities to proactively identify fraud, waste and 

abuse and detect illegal electronic financial transactions, including unauthorized 

payment requests, ineligible program participants, and program abuse and fraud. 

o Produce additional IT-related audits and inspections involving Department data 

systems and security functions, such as incident response and contract oversight, 

as well as breach notification procedures at institutions participating in the Federal 

student aid programs and housing Departmental data.

Review of Proposed Regulations and Initiatives 

The OIG reviews changes the Department proposes to make to its program directives, 

such as regulations, internal operating procedures, and agency policy notices. Drawing 

from its prior work, OIG comments on the proposals to promote more effective controls 

to deter waste, fraud, and abuse.

Unplanned Assignments 

The OIG must always be prepared to dedicate resources to address new or emerging 

risks or new Departmental programs and responsibilities. For example, in fiscal year

2022, the Congress passed, and the President signed into law the Bipartisan Safer 

Communities Act. The law provides the Department with more than $2 billion for the 

School Improvement Programs and Safe Schools and Citizenship Education program, 

along with new reporting, and other responsibilities. It did not include supplemental 

funding for the OIG to conduct oversight work related to the programs and funding 

related thereto. This means that the OIG needs to rely on its annual appropriation to 

conduct audits, inspections, investigations, or other oversight work specific to the law. 

Further, the OIG must be prepared to conduct unplanned work to address stakeholder 

concerns, emerging areas of risk, or new Department programs or responsibilities. 

Without additional appropriations, the OIG will not have sufficient resources to conduct 

unplanned work without impacting other ongoing or planned priority work.

Mission Support Activities

Although auditors and investigators tend to get the spotlight, their efforts are supported by 

a team of professionals who assist in carrying out the OIG’s work. This includes legal 

staff, management, business, and communications professionals. Over the last several 

years, due to budget constraints, the OIG has implemented an across-the-board hiring 

freeze, and was unable to backfill positions as they became vacant. This has had an 

impact on its mission support activities where the OIG has not been able to hire many 

new staff. As such, some of its mission support staff have said they felt overburdened 

and left the OIG for better opportunities. Without sufficient mission support staff, the OIG 

runs the risk of delays and reduction in its overall output and limits the OIG’s ability to 

implement internal improvements. At this fiscal year 2025 budget request, the OIG will 

have the opportunity to bring new and much-needed mission support staff on board and 

reduce the risk of overburdening its staff and causing them to leave the OIG for better 

opportunities. The OIG would have the ability to hire mission support staff in areas where 

it currently has only one person conducting the work, and areas where existing staff take 

on additional responsibilities, such as internal and external communications and website 

management. This lack of an adequate number of trained staff or a “bench” if you will, 

puts tremendous pressure on existing staff who handle these activities in addition to their 

regular responsibilities, leaving the OIG unable to fulfill these tasks in a timely manner 
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

30

when the staff member conducting this work is out of the office. Further, with additional 

mission support staff, the OIG would be able to enhance internal programs, like the 

quality assurance program and the enterprise risk management program. These 

programs help ensure the efficiency, effectiveness, and reliability of OIG products and 

services. 

FY 2025 Distribution of Costs 

The chart below is a summary and breakdown of the OIG’s distribution costs for fiscal year 2025. 

Personnel Compensation and Benefits Costs

For fiscal year 2025, the OIG requests $53.946 million for Personnel Compensation and 

Benefits, which is the OIG’s greatest operating costs (70 percent of the OIG budget). At this 

funding level, the OIG will be able to afford 238 FTEs. The Personnel Compensation and 

Benefits amount includes a proposed 2.0 percent cost of living increase and law enforcement 

availability pay (required by 5 U.S.C. § 5545a) for criminal investigators who are required to be 

available during hours that are not part of the regular work week. 

Overhead

Overhead is the OIG’s second largest costs (18 percent of the OIG budget). The fiscal year 2025 

budget request includes $14.317 million for anticipated overhead costs and departmental centralized 

services. Rent and the Department’s IT contract uses about 82.82 percent of the centralized services 

resources. The IT services and contracts amounts are primarily for the Department’s IT contracts, 

which cover equipment, telecommunications, processing services, network support, end-user 

support, maintenance, and improvements. Other items included in overhead costs are interagency 

agreements for services such as payroll processing, guard services, and background security 

investigations. 

Overhead

18%, $14.3

Other Non-Personnel

12%, $9.2

Personnel 

Compensation & 

Benefits

70%, $53.9

FY 2025 Distribution of Costs

($ in millions)

Overhead includes funding not executed by the OIG: rent, telecommunication, 

interagency agreements, and IT services. 

Other Non-Personnel includes funding executed by the OIG: travel, advisory 

and assistance services, training, and CIGIE support.
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

31

Departmental Centralized Services

(dollars in thousands)

Item 2024 Annualized CR 2025 Request Change

Rent $5,497 $5,022 -$475

Central IT 5,671 6,628 +957

Other Central Support 1,824 2,667 +843

Centralized Services Total 12,992 14,317 1,325

Other Non-Personnel Costs

For fiscal year 2025, the OIG requests $9.277 million for Other Non-Personnel, $2.012 million 

more than the fiscal year 2024 Base. This represents 15.72 percent of the OIG’s overall budget 

including travel, training, goods, and services from shared Federal services, IT needs that are 

not covered by the Department’s centralized services, and other services.

Other Non-Personnel Costs

(dollars in thousands)

OIG Activity 2024 Annualized CR 2025 Request Change

Rent $546 $686 $140 

Central IT 0 12 12

Other Central Support 87 100 13

Rent 13 12 -1

Central IT 0 1 1

Other Central Support 0 0 0

Rent 2771 2733 -38

Central IT 189 198 9

Other Central Support 407 435 28

Rent 3 28 25

Central IT 56 132 76

Other Central Support 2805 2914 109

Rent 339 1926 1587

Central IT 49 100 51

Other Central Support 0 0 0

Other Non-Personnel 

Costs Total 7,265 9,277 2,012

Travel

For fiscal year 2025, the OIG requests $686,000 for travel, $140,000 more than the fiscal year

2024 Base. Due to fiscal challenges, the OIG reduced travel for staff in fiscal years 2023 and 

2024 except for the most mission-critical assignments, such as special agents conducting 
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

32

investigative activities (e.g., conducting interviews, executing search and arrest warrants, and 

testifying at trials) in locations outside their immediate areas. The OIG continued conducting 

nearly all audit work and auditor training virtually, which limits opportunities to develop strong 

auditee relations and gain insights through on-site observation. With this fiscal year 2025 

request, the OIG will be able to see increases in employee travel for audits, inspections, and 

investigations above that for fiscal year 2023 and fiscal year 2024. This means OIG criminal 

investigators and auditors will once again be able to conduct in-person outreach with our 

strategic partners such as the United States Attorney’s Offices, examine records at State 

educational agencies, local educational agencies, schools, other grantees, loan servicers, 

contractors, and other recipients of Federal education funds. 

Transportation of Things

For fiscal year 2025, the OIG requests $12,000 for transportation of things, which is $12,000 

more than the fiscal year 2024 Base. This funding is needed to support the planned closure 

and decommissioning of six OIG locations and planned space reduction at five other field 

offices. The OIG will be tasked with the removal and relocation of investigative equipment.

Communications

For fiscal year 2025, the OIG requests $100,000 for Communications, which is $13,000 more 

than the fiscal year 2024 Base. The additional funding is needed to support the OIG’s 

Washington, DC headquarters scheduled move from leased space at Potomac Center Plaza to 

the Department Headquarters building. This move requires the OIG to increase the bandwidth 

for OIG-maintained IT systems and the requested funds support these necessary OIG 

modernization efforts.

Other Services

For fiscal year 2025, the OIG requests $2.733 million for Other Services, $38,000 less than the 

fiscal year 2024 Base. This funding will support the statutory requirements for the Financial 

Statements Audit and FISMA and GSA leased vehicles are also covered under this category. 

Although the OIG decreased the number of vehicles in its fleet in fiscal years 2022 and 2023, 

the cost of maintaining the remaining vehicles increased. It expects this to be the case in fiscal 

year 2024 and fiscal year 2025. Further, it anticipates additional fees required by the lessor, 

known as the Alternative Fuel Vehicle surcharge, continue to rise in fiscal year 2025. 

Training

For fiscal year 2025, the OIG requests $274,000 for training, no increase from the fiscal 

year 2024 Base. The OIG has initiated a hybrid post-pandemic training plan, utilizing both in 

person and virtual training methods. This training plan includes training for professional 

certifications and statutorily mandated, or other required training for the OIG’s auditors, 

investigators, business professionals, and other staff. In accordance with the Inspector General 

Act, 5 U.S.C. § 406(g)(1), the Inspector General has certified that the amount requested for 

required training of its staff, including amounts designated for the statutorily required training 

provided by the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, the Inspector General Criminal 

Investigator Academy, and in the Department’s centralized services, would satisfy all the OIG’s 

fiscal year 2025 training requirements.
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

33

Goods and Services from Government

For fiscal year 2025, the OIG requests $435,000 for Goods and Services from shared Federal 

sources, $28,000 more than the fiscal year 2024 Base. Within this request, $359,000 will cover 

the OIG’s required funding support for the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and 

Efficiency or CIGIE and includes $76,000 in mission critical interagency agreements covering a 

variety of services provided by other Federal agencies. 

Operations and Maintenance of Equipment

For fiscal year 2025, the OIG requests $28,000 for Operations and Maintenance of Equipment, 

which is $25,000 more than the fiscal year 2024 Base. This funding supports the routine and 

regular maintenance of law enforcement investigative equipment. OIG investigative personnel 

maintain an inventory of law enforcement equipment that requires routine and regular 

maintenance. This equipment must be replaced periodically due to the normal wear and 

damage from usage. At any time while on duty, law enforcement officers may encounter threats 

where investigative enforcement equipment is required and outdated or improperly maintained 

equipment could expose personnel to undue safety risks.

IT Services and Contracts

For fiscal year 2025, the OIG requests $9,614 million for IT Services and Contracts, which is 

$1,097,000 more than the fiscal year 2024 Base. This funding will be used to maintain the 

OIG’s cybersecurity posture and implement new cybersecurity requirements. Additionally, this 

funding will support the administration, modernization, operation, maintenance, and

development efforts for the OIG Data Analytics System and the OIG case management system, 

and general IT services for investigative, inspection, and audit support. Further, the OIG will 

adopt the required Federal Government Cloud Smart strategy, which will allow it to develop and 

optimize its cloud architecture while building a more secure and cost-effective platform for 

business and data applications. 

IT Equipment and Software

For fiscal year 2025, the OIG requests $1.926 million for IT Equipment and Software, which is 

$1.587 million more than the fiscal year 2024 Base. The requested funding is necessary to 

support the OIG’s ongoing IT modernization efforts including the OIG’s compliance with 

Executive Order 14074, “Advancing Effective, Accountable Policing and Criminal Justice 

Practices to Enhance Public Trust and Public Safety” (EO 14074),1 most notably, “Sec. 13. 

Ensuring Appropriate Use of Body-Worn Cameras and Advanced Law Enforcement 

Technologies.” This provision requires Federal law enforcement agencies to publicly post their 

body-worn camera policies and use the cameras in certain situations, such as serving or 

executing search and arrest warrants. To meet these requirements, the OIG must invest in and 

establish a new Federal information system and will need to integrate, maintain, and support 

the camera systems with other OIG systems. 

As the Federal government continues to progress toward implementing stronger IT security 

controls and protocols, the OIG will have to modernize to manage the vast amount of data 

analyzed within the agency. Continued investments in the information technology infrastructure 

1 https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2022/05/25/executive-order-on-advancing-effectiveaccountable-policing-and-criminal-justice-practices-to-enhance-public-trust-and-public-safety/
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

34

is critical for OIG’s ability to prepare for and leverage new and emerging technologies and 

anticipated requirements for Federal agencies, such as those involving artificial intelligence.

Other Equipment

For fiscal year 2025, the OIG requests $100,000 for Other Equipment, which is $51,000 more 

than the fiscal year 2024 Base. This increase will support planned office moves and 

decommissioning of OIG offices anticipated in fiscal year 2024. The movement of OIG 

personnel to the main Department’s headquarters in Washington, DC will be paid via charge 

backs from the Department for construction costs above standard cost and security changes

required by OIG personnel and system.

Building Alterations

The OIG’s fiscal year 2025 budget request does not include funds for the OIG’s anticipated 

expiring leases and construction costs associated with its offices and any other building 

alteration costs. In fiscal year 2025, the Department plans on covering any such costs using the 

Nonrecurring Expenses Fund. As such, the Department will be responsible for covering those 

costs directly.

FY 2025 GOALS AND PRIORITIES

In fiscal year 2022, the OIG issued its Strategic Plan for fiscal years 2023–2028.1 In this plan, 

the OIG presents four overarching goals:

• Goal 1: Maximize its Value to Stakeholders. Promote effectiveness in the 

Department’s programs and operations by delivering relevant and timely information to its 

stakeholders.

• Goal 2: Combat Program Fraud and Cyber Threats. Conduct timely, high-quality 

investigations and digital analyses to detect and deter fraud, waste, abuse, and other 

criminal activity involving Department programs and operations.

• Goal 3: Invest in the OIG Workforce. Cultivate a talented and diverse workforce and an 

inclusive, equitable, and accessible workplace that inspires engagement, creativity, and 

excellence.

• Goal 4: Innovate and Collaborate. Implement innovative and collaborative internal 

processes that leverage technology, foster strategic thinking, and advance organizational 

effectiveness.

In the OIG Strategic Plan, it shared the key strategies it will use to meet these goals and 

provided examples of the measures by which the OIG would assess its performance in doing so. 

Yearly goals and results are presented in annual performance results report are made available 

to the public via the OIG website.2 

1 https://oig.ed.gov/sites/default/files/document/2023-02/ED%20OIG%20Strategic%20Plan%20FY%202023-2028.pdf 2 https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oig/strategicplansperformancereports.html
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

35

PROGRAM PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

This section presents selected program performance information, including, for example, 

program goals, objectives, measures, and performance targets and data; and an assessment of 

the progress made toward achieving program results. Achievement of program results is based 

on the cumulative effect of the Federal resources provided for the program as well as the 

resources and efforts invested by those served by the program. The OIG fiscal year 2023 results 

are presented in its fiscal year 2023 Performance Results Report, which is available on its 

website.1

 

Performance Measures

Measure: Audits initiated each year in accordance with policy and focused on areas of high risk 

or significant importance.

Year Target Actual

2020 85% 100%

2021 85 100

2022 85 100

2023 85 100

2024 85 —

2025 TBD —

Measure: Investigations initiated each year in accordance with policy and focused on areas of 

high risk or significant importance.

Year Target Actual

2020 75% 91%

2021 75 90

2022 75 94

2023 80 96

2024 80 —

2025 TBD —

Measure: Recommendations in reports issued during the fiscal year accepted by the 

Department and corrective action plans agreed to by OIG management.

Year Target Actual

2020 90% 94%

2021 90 91

2022 90 100

2023 90 94

2024 90 —

2025 TBD —

1 https://oig.ed.gov/reports/other/oig-fy-2023-performance-results-report
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

36

Measure: Audits and alternative projects met the agreed-on dates for field work completed and 

draft report submitted for review in accordance with policy.

Year Target Actual

2020 75% 87%

2021 75 88

2022 80 88

2023 80 88

2024 80 —

2025 TBD —

Measure: Initial audits and alternative projects were evaluated in accordance with policy and 

approved by OIG senior management within 70 days of audit field work completion.

Year Target Actual

2020 70% 92%

2021 70 91

2022 75 83

2023 75 89

2024 75 —

2025 TBD —

Measure: Draft audit and alternative project reports were issued in accordance with policy, 

accepted by OIG management, and issued within 1 year from entrance conference.

Year Target Actual

2020 70% 72%

2021 70 71

2022 75 88

2023 75 74

2024 75 —

2025 TBD —

Measure: Preliminary inquiries of fraud, waste, and abuse processed for case initiation 

(investigation) or closure with a final disposition within 120 days.

Year Target Actual

2020 70% 80%

2021 70 88

2022 75 92

2023 80 89

2024 80 —

2025 TBD —
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

37

Measure: Preliminary inquiries converted to full investigations by OIG management that resulted 

in a criminal, civil or administrative action, or monetary result (Investigation Services).

Year Target Actual

2020 70% 70%

2021 70 78

2022 70 76

2023 70 74

2024 70 —

2025 TBD —

Measure: Preliminary inquiries converted to full investigations by OIG management that resulted 

in a criminal, civil or administrative action, or monetary result, or actionable referral to the 

Department.

Year Target Actual

2020 70% 75%

2021 70 80

2022 70 76

2023 70 74

2024 70 —

2025 TBD —

Measure: IT audits issued in accordance with policy and accepted by management by the 

agreed-on date.

Year Target Actual

2020 75% 81%

2021 75 88

2022 85 94

2023 85 100

2024 75 —

2025 TBD —

Measure: Substantive comments provided by OIG resulted in changes in legislation, regulations, 

or other policies.

Year Target Actual

2020 70% 71%

2021 70 90

2022 75 88

2023 75 80

2024 75 —

2025 TBD —
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

38

Measure: Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) responses processed in accordance with statutory 

requirements and delivered to requestors within required deadlines.

Year Target Actual

2020 90% 71%

2021 90 81

2022 90 91

2023* 90 and 90 90.5 and 87

2024 90 and 90 —

2025 TBD —

Additional information: In 2023, this measure was separated into two to account for simple and 

complex FOIA requests.

Measure: Hotline complaints processed in accordance with policy and within the established 

deadlines.

Year Target Actual

2020 85% 95%

2021 85 94

2022 85 85

2023 85 95

2024 85 —

2025 TBD —