California’s community colleges are grappling with a surge in fraudulent enrollments, with 1.2 million fake applicants in 2024 accounting for nearly 30 percent of new students, blocking real students from classes and costing millions of dollars in stolen financial aid, according to college officials.
The problem, exacerbated by the shift to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, affects at least 90 of the state’s 116 campuses, according to Marvin Martinez, chancellor of the Rancho Santiago Community College District, and Jeannie Kim, president of Santiago Canyon College.
