$1 billion in the shadows: How “ghost students” are haunting California’s community colleges

California’s community colleges are facing a peculiar crisis that involves fraud, and identity theft. Beneath the surface of the state’s vast higher education system, thousands of so-called “ghost students” have allegedly enrolled in classes, occupied limited seats, and in many cases, collected financial aid meant for genuine learners. According to OpenTheBooks , a watchdog organisation that has tracked the issue for several years, the problem extends beyond fake enrolments. These fraudulent accounts often use the names, images and birth dates of real individuals, some even of those who have died. Kim Rich, a criminal justice professor at Pierce College in the Los Angeles Community College District, has spent years identifying these impostors. In one instance, she traced a student’s