Radford University is committed to protecting applicants, students, and financial aid resources from fraudulent applications, identity theft and misuse of student information.
Applicants and students are expected to provide complete, accurate, and truthful information on all admission, enrollment and financial aid documents.
Application or financial aid fraud happens when someone submits false, misleading, altered, incomplete or stolen information to apply for admission, enroll in classes, or receive financial aid. Fraudulent activity may include:
A “ghost student” is a fake or fraudulent student identity created to apply for admission, register for courses or receive financial aid.
In some cases, ghost student fraud involves stolen personal information from a real person. This can create serious problems for victims, including bills, financial aid activity, or student loan records connected to a school they never attended.
Radford University reviews applications, student records and financial aid activity for signs of possible fraud, including inconsistent or suspicious personal information, altered and/or questionable documents, conflicting financial aid information, unusual enrollment or refund activity and information that does not match institutional, state, or federal records
If your application or student record is flagged for review, we may contact you to request more information or documentation.
A review does not automatically mean you did anything wrong, just that we need to confirm identity or resolve conflicting information before moving forward.
During a review, Radford University may temporarily pause:
Depending on the situation, we may ask for:
Submitting fraudulent information may result in serious consequences, including:
If you receive a bill, loan notice, collection notice, or financial aid message from a school you did not attend, contact the university immediately. You may also want to:
If we have reason to believe your personal information may have been used in a fraudulent admission, enrollment, or financial aid record, Radford University will take appropriate steps to review the matter and protect the affected record. When appropriate, the university may notify you and provide guidance on steps you can take to protect your identity and address any related university or student aid issues.
Reduce your risk by using strong passwords, enabling multi-factor authentication, using secure document systems, and monitoring both your credit and student aid
You should always be cautious with emails, texts or calls requesting personal information. Report suspicious activity right away
Your FSA ID is your legal electronic signature for federal student aid. Do not share your username or password with anyone. Parents who need to complete FAFSA-related steps should use their own FSA ID, not the student’s.
If you believe your identity has been used in a fraudulent application, or if you suspect fraudulent admission, enrollment, or financial aid activity, report it as soon as possible.
Office of Admissions admissions@radford.edu
Phone: 540-831-5371
Office of Financial Aid finaid@radford.edu
Phone: 540-831-5408
Office of the Registrar registrar@radford.edu
Phone: 540-831-5271