Overview
- North Carolina’s State Auditor reported that NC A&T steered $5 million in student aid without proof of merit or need, much of it taken from Administrative Recovery Funds, which are student fees for housing, dining and parking.
- More than $780,000 went to students who worked at the university or had family or other direct ties, including a former foundation director’s nephew who received $73,063 and a board adviser’s daughter who received $23,052.
- Auditors detailed preferential awards by former leaders, such as $49,024 to an out-of-state student and another $48,654 to two friends, and a former vice provost’s son who stayed enrolled and received a $10,000 scholarship despite a $2,000 cap.
- State Auditor Dave Boliek referred the case to the State Bureau of Investigation and notified the Guilford County district attorney, and the university said it will cooperate.
- NC A&T says it initiated the review and is implementing 15 fixes to tighten approvals and document awards, and a 2008 audit flagged similar issues with scholarships for relatives.