California's Community Colleges: A Fraudulent Frenzy

California's community colleges are in a mess. A big one. About one in three applicants is fake. That's around 1. 2 million people who shouldn't be there. They're not real students. Many are overseas, taking online classes, submitting fake work, and grabbing financial aid meant for real students. This is a huge problem. California has the biggest public higher-education system in the country. It's supposed to help people get ahead. But instead, it's become a playground for scammers. Why? Because checking who's real and who's not was optional. That's like leaving your front door wide open and hoping no one steals your stuff. It took a big investigation to make people wake up. Nine members of Congress even asked the federal government to look into it. Finally, the system's governing board said, "Okay, let's check IDs. " But even that was a struggle. They thought about charging a small fee, like $10, but decided against it. Instead, they'll "explore" other options. Explore? Really?Students are the ones getting hurt. They're competing with bots for classes. One student lost her spot in a crucial class to a fake enrollee. Every fake applicant means one less real student gets the help they need. It's not just about money. It's about real people's futures. This isn't just a problem for colleges. It's happening all over California's public benefits. During the pandemic, the state lost $32. 6 billion to unemployment fraud. Inmates even got fraudulent payments. Disability insurance? 98% of medical providers were fake. Food assistance programs? Millions stolen. But instead of fixing the problem, politicians make it sound like checking IDs is mean. California had a huge surplus. Now it's facing a big deficit. The problem isn't money. It's governance. Until California starts taking responsibility, every dollar will just disappear.