Social Security benefits paid to students came under scrutiny after a new federal audit estimated that the Social Security Administration issued about $211 million in improper payments and another $342 million in unsupported payments during the period reviewed.
The Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General released the audit report on September 23, 2026.
The review examined beneficiaries who received student Social Security benefits for at least one month from January 2022 through December 2024.
The findings do not mean that every affected beneficiary was overpaid or that SSA will automatically seek money from all student recipients.
Instead, the estimates are statistical projections based on a review of 100 beneficiaries selected from a population of 521,393 people who received student benefits during the audit period.
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What the SSA OIG audit found
SSA correctly paid 71 of the 100 beneficiaries reviewed, according to the audit.
The agency did not correctly pay 17 beneficiaries.
SSA also lacked documentation supporting payments to 12 beneficiaries.
Because some cases involved more than one issue, the report separately identified payment errors and missing records rather than treating every finding as a confirmed overpayment.
In the sample, the OIG identified $49,447 in improper payments.
The agency could not support an additional $93,466 in payments because required records were missing from its systems.
Projecting those results across the larger population, the OIG estimated approximately $211 million in improper payments involving about 89,000 student beneficiaries.
It estimated approximately $342 million in unsupported payments involving about 63,000 student beneficiaries.
The report said the statistical projections were calculated at a 90-percent confidence level.
Why student Social Security benefits can continue after age 18
Social Security benefits for a child generally end when the child reaches age 18.
These student Social Security benefits may continue when the child is unmarried, remains a full-time student at an elementary or secondary school and has not reached age 19, subject to the program’s eligibility rules.
The student-benefit rules generally apply to children of workers who are retired, disabled or deceased and who qualify for benefits on the worker’s record.
College attendance alone does not generally qualify a beneficiary for these student benefits.
To administer student Social Security benefits, SSA relies on school-attendance information, expected graduation dates and other eligibility details to determine how long payments should continue.
SSA also uses Form SSA-1372, Advance Notice of Termination of Child’s Benefits, to collect information from the student and obtain certification from a school official.
The form asks for details such as the school attended, attendance dates, expected graduation date and whether the student is attending full time.
School-attendance information caused many payment errors
The audit found that inaccurate or outdated school-attendance information contributed to nine of the 17 cases in which SSA did not correctly pay student Social Security benefits.
In six cases, students and school officials did not notify SSA that the students had stopped attending school earlier than expected.
SSA therefore continued paying benefits beyond the period in which the students were eligible.
In three other cases, the Forms SSA-1372 contained incorrect graduation dates.
Those errors produced different results.
Some beneficiaries received payments for too long, while others received too little because benefits were terminated based on an inaccurate date.
In one example, a student reported an expected graduation date in June 2023 but had stopped attending school in January 2023.
The report said SSA paid the student for five months after eligibility ended, resulting in a $9,330 overpayment.
In another case, a student graduated later than the date reported to SSA and missed $1,210 in benefits that should have been payable for an additional month.
The OIG estimated that inaccurate information from beneficiaries and schools contributed to approximately $127 million of the projected improper payments.
SSA employees also entered incorrect termination dates
The audit identified eight cases in which SSA employees did not correctly determine how long student benefits should continue.
In four cases, the termination dates entered into SSA records were earlier than the dates reported on the students’ forms.
That shortened the students’ eligibility periods and led to underpayments.
In three other cases, SSA continued payments after the beneficiaries were no longer eligible because the agency did not correctly apply school-calendar or graduation information.
One case involved a student who turned 19 while attending a school that operated on a full-year basis.
The report said SSA treated the school as operating on a quarterly basis and terminated benefits later than required.
Another case involved a school notice showing that a student graduated one month earlier than the date in SSA’s records.
The OIG estimated that incorrect determinations by SSA employees contributed to approximately $85 million in improper payments.
Missing forms left student Social Security benefits unsupported
SSA employees did not retain completed Forms SSA-1372 for 12 of the 100 beneficiaries in the audit sample.
Without those forms, the OIG could not verify that the beneficiaries met the school-attendance requirements for continued payments.
The missing documents did not by themselves establish that every payment was improper.
They meant that SSA could not produce the evidence needed to support the payments when the records were reviewed.
Based on the sample, the OIG estimated that approximately $342 million in payments to about 63,000 student beneficiaries could not be supported by the required documentation.
The finding highlights the difference between an improper payment estimate and an unsupported-payment estimate.
An improper payment indicates that the payment did not comply with applicable requirements.
An unsupported payment means the available records were insufficient to establish whether the payment was correct.
What SSA agreed to do
The OIG made three recommendations to the Social Security Administration.
Review and correct the eight remaining beneficiary records involving inaccurate or outdated school-attendance information.
Review and correct the six remaining cases in which benefits were not terminated at the correct time.
Identify the causes of inaccurate attendance reporting, incorrect termination decisions and failures to retain completed Forms SSA-1372, then take corrective action.
SSA agreed to implement all three recommendations.
The report said corrective action had already been taken in one of the nine attendance-information cases and two of the eight termination-date cases as of June 2026.
Corrective action remained pending in the other cases at that time.
The audit memorandum asked SSA to provide a corrective-action plan within 60 days.
What current student beneficiaries should understand
The audit does not announce a new eligibility rule for student Social Security benefits.
It also does not direct current beneficiaries to repay money solely because they fall within the population reviewed.
Students and school officials should continue to report changes in attendance, graduation dates and other eligibility information to SSA as soon as possible.
Families should keep copies of forms and notices submitted to SSA, along with school records that document enrollment and graduation information.
Anyone who receives a notice about an overpayment or benefit termination should review the notice carefully and contact SSA if the agency’s information is incorrect.
Beneficiaries who believe an overpayment decision is wrong may have appeal or waiver options, depending on the circumstances described in the notice.
The OIG’s findings also show why an accurate Form SSA-1372 and timely school certification matter when benefits continue after a child turns 18.
A follow-up to earlier concerns
The new audit identified problems similar to those described in an earlier OIG review.
That December 2014 review also found inaccurate school-attendance information, incorrect benefit-duration decisions and failures to retain required forms.
The earlier audit estimated about $225 million in overpaid student benefits and approximately $968 million in payments without evidence of school attendance.
The latest report concluded that actions taken after the prior review were not sufficient to prevent the problems from continuing.
For Social Security benefits paid to students, the agency’s next steps will focus on improving attendance reporting, benefit-termination processing and record retention.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the audit mean current student beneficiaries must repay their Social Security benefits?
No. The audit provides statistical estimates and does not automatically establish that every student beneficiary was overpaid. Individual repayment decisions require a separate review and notice from SSA.
Who may qualify for Social Security student benefits after age 18?
An unmarried child may generally continue receiving benefits between ages 18 and 19 when attending an elementary or secondary school full time and meeting other SSA requirements.
What is Form SSA-1372 used for?
Form SSA-1372 collects school-attendance and expected-graduation information from a student and requires certification by a school official so SSA can determine continued eligibility.
What problems did the SSA OIG identify?
The audit identified inaccurate or outdated attendance information, incorrect benefit-termination dates and missing Forms SSA-1372 that left some payments unsupported.
Fact-Checked: Key findings were checked against the September 23, 2026 SSA Office of the Inspector General audit and current SSA student-benefit guidance and forms.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information and is not a determination of any individual’s Social Security eligibility, payment amount or repayment obligation.
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