We successfully represented two graduate students of Bard College in a False Claims Act case against Bard for making false statements to the Department of Education to obtain a large federal grant.  Bard College, located in Annandale, New York, submitted an application to the U.S. Department of Education to receive funds to operate a Masters of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree program in Delano, California.  Initially the MAT program was to have a cohort of approximately 30 students.  However, Bard College misrepresented to the Department in its application that it had established student teaching programs in the area, or that it had met (or would meet at graduation time) certain requirements that would facilitate its students to receive their teaching certificates.  When the situation came to light, the Bard MAT graduates in California were unable to get licensed as teachers because of Bard College's misrepresentations. 

On behalf of two students, we filed a qui tam action in California that was successful on those claims, and on claims that Bard had awarded, disbursed, and received Title IV student loan funds at campus locations before such locations were accredited or before providing notice of such locations to the Department of Education, in violation of applicable regulations and Bard's Title IV Program Participation Agreements with the Department of Education.  Bard College agreed to pay $4 million to resolve the False Claims Act case.  The Relators in this case received an award of 20% of the amount recovered.