Name: Phantoms in the Portal: Ghost Students and Financial Aid Fraud
Start: 2026-06-23T11:00:00-0500
End: 2026-06-23T11:45:00-0500

Welcome to the GPN & ARE-ON Joint Conference 2026 schedule. Use this page to browse sessions, view speaker and session details, and build your personal agenda for June 22–24 in Rogers, Arkansas. Check back through May as additional sessions and details are added.

Phantoms in the Portal: Ghost Students and Financial Aid Fraud

Tuesday June 23, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am CDT

Embassy Suites Conv. Center - Ambassador C

Higher Education is under attack by ghosts. I know how crazy that sounds, but according to a U.S. Department of Education press release form May 2025, approximately $90 million in federal student aid has been awarded and released to ineligible recipients in the prior three years. Your institution may have already dealt with this, is currently dealing with this, or could fall victim in the future. Our goal in this session is to learn who these ghosts are, what they want, and discuss methods used by other institutions to stop them and mitigate resulting damage left behind.

Speakers

Natalie McNish

Director of Internal Audit & Risk Management, Missouri State University

Natalie B. McNish serves as the Director of Internal Audit and Risk Management at Missouri State University, where she leads efforts to strengthen governance, ensure compliance, and promote effective risk management practices. With a strong background in auditing and organizational... Read More →

Tuesday June 23, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am CDT
Embassy Suites Conv. Center - Ambassador C 3303 Pinnacle Hills Pkwy, Rogers, AR 72758-8936

Presentation

Company Ciena/Lumen, Missouri State University
Audience Network Engineers, Security Professionals, IT Leaders
Subject Infrastructure, Security & Operations

GPN & ARE-ON Joint Conference 2026

Natalie McNish

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