With the new Netflix documentary on the admissions scandal, and previous cases such as Adam Wheeler, Akash Maharaj, and Cavya Chandra, a question came to mind. In the Varsity Blues scandal, none of the students were charged (but parents were), but in the three individual examples above, they all got charged with some form of a criminal charge (generally for taking financial aid).
I know that the cases above are extreme cases with bribery and completely forged transcripts and letters of rec, but it got me thinking. I know a lot of people who have lied or made exaggerations on their college apps, gotten accepted, and accepted financial aid. If they were discovered, would they also face criminal charges (along with expulsion/rescinded degree)? Even if there wasn’t acceptance of financial aid, I can see it possibly being counted as criminal fraud.
And would that be fair? The expulsion makes sense (rescinding degree seems kinda harsh but still reasonable), but it seems kind of cruel for someone to get a criminal record for something they did at age 17 that was as insignificant as saying they were president of a club when they weren’t, or pretended to tutor some students, or some other small lie like that.
Thoughts? And following the examples above, when does lying on college apps become a criminal matter?