51�Թ�

Sir David claims ministers rejected his rival bid to purchase the business because it was potentially incompatible with state aid rules, and criticised Mr Gupta's management of Liberty Steel in the years since.

From January through mid-April of this year, $4 million in federal aid and more than $760,000 in state aid have been disbursed and written off as fraud by California community colleges, according to chancellor’s office data.

In 2024 through 2025 to date, students received roughly $2 billion in total aid from all federal sources, including loans and Pell Grants, and about $1.5 billion in state aid, the officials said.

Data from the chancellor’s office show that about $8.4 million in federal aid and $2.7 million in state aid were stolen by scammers in 2024.

Numbers are also complicated by changes in the California Dream Act Application, which was established for students lacking documentation to apply for state aid but has expanded to allow students who are citizens and have an undocumented parent.