USC, UCLA, Stanford Under Investigation In Admissions Scandal

LOS ANGELES, CA — The federal investigation into a massive admissions cheating scandal at elite universities has turned its sights onto UCLA, USC, Stanford and the University of San Diego among eight universities caught up in the scandal.

The Department of Education Monday notified the three schools that they are under investigation along with Yale, Wake Forest University, Georgetown University and the University of Texas at Austin. Already dozens of parents, coaches, proctors and the founder of a corrupt college prep business have been charged in the scandal. Several indicted parents are reportedly facing pressure to cooperate with prosecutors to expand the scope of the investigation. The investigation reflects peril for the universities as they navigate the scandal. Investigators are looking to determine if the universities violated laws "governing the Federal student financial aid programs," according to a document reviewed by the political news website, Politico.

The consequences could be serious for the universities. If violations are found, the schools could be penalized up to having access to Pell Grants and federal student loans cut off. It's a penalty that would affect the schools' low-income students and their access to aid.

The letter to the schools stated the allegations made against the schools by the Justice Department "raise questions about whether your institution is fully meeting its obligations," Politico reported.

The letters cite a wide range of federal education regulations and laws that investigators are exploring, including that universities receiving federal student aid must have proper procedures and policies to administer federal money, Politico said.

The universities were ordered to provide a list of the names of all students whose admissions were tied to the Justice Department's investigation. Investigators appear to be interested in the university's marketing and recruitment procedures as well. Education Department investigators ordered the universities to turn over documents they used in marketing and promoting their schools, including any statement made to organizations that rank schools, such as U.S. News and World Report and internal control policies and procedures related to admissions for recruited athletes, the website said.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has called the scandal "disgraceful" and urged her department to determine if any of the agency's regulations had been violated.

Thirteen people, including Hollywood actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, were arrested March 13 in connection with an alleged multimillion-dollar nationwide bribery scheme to get students into elite colleges, including USC, UCLA and Stanford. This week, Yale revoked the admission of one student tied to the scandal, and USC officials announced they were freezing the registration of students linked to the scandal.

RELATED: USC Students Linked To Cheating Scandal In Limbo

The alleged conspiracy focused on getting students admitted to prestigious universities as recruited athletes, regardless of their athletic abilities, and helping potential students cheat on their college exams, according to a 50-defendant indictment unsealed in federal court in Boston.

There's no indication that the schools were involved in any of the wrongdoing.

Loughlin, best known for her role in the sitcom ``Full House," and Huffman, who starred in the ABC show ``Desperate Housewives," are charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services fraud, according to the indictment.

Huffman is accused of paying $15,000 disguised as a charitable donation to the Key Worldwide Foundation to aid her oldest daughter's university prospects. A confidential informant told investigators that he told Huffman he could arrange for a third party to correct her daughter's answers on the SAT after she took it, The Washington Post reported. She ended up scoring a 1420 -- 400 points higher than she had gotten on a PSAT taken a year earlier.

Huffman also contemplated running a similar scam to help her younger daughter, but ultimately did not pursue it, the complaint alleges.

Both Huffman and Loughlin were released from custody after posting bail and were ordered to appear in federal court in Boston on March 29.

UCLA men's soccer coach Jorge Salcedo, who is charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering for his alleged participation in the scheme, resigned Thursday. Salcedo, who had been UCLA's coach since 2004, had been on leave since March 12 when federal authorities announced indictments in the case.

USC last week fired senior associate athletic director Donna Heinel and USC water polo coach Jovan Vavic, who were among those indicted in the case.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.