Audit 299309

Finding 2023-001 - Significant Deficiency, Compliance and Control Federal Assistance Listing No. 84.425E U.S. Department Of Education ESF Section 2 - Higher Education (Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF)) - Reporting Criteria: 2 CFR section 200.328 and 2 CFR section 200.329 requires grantees to submit quarterly reports for both student and institutional portions along with an annual report to the Department of Education. Condition: In our nonstatistical testing of 2 quarterly reports and 1 annual report, it was noted that for the one student report selected, the appropriate form was not used for reporting the current period activity and the report was not posted timely to the Ottawa University website as required. Cause: Management based the reporting requirement on previous guidance that did not require the use of a specific form to report the required data. Updated guidance required a specific form to use. The University did not use the required form, and the information was uploaded to the Ottawa University website 344 days after the deadline. Effect: Information on student disbursements was not available in the required format or required timeframe. Questioned Costs: Not applicable Context: One student report from our sample was not reported in conformity with the guidance. Identification As A Repeat Finding: Not a repeat finding. Recommendation: We recommend that management develop a system with appropriate controls that allows for implementing the most recent guidance on HEERF reporting.Views Of Responsible Officials: See Corrective Action Plan. Completion Date: March 2024 Contact Person: Donna Ferguson, Controller and Director of Fiscal Operations, and Carrie Stevens, Associate Vice President of Compliance

Finding 2023-001 - Significant Deficiency, Compliance and Control Federal Assistance Listing No. 84.425E U.S. Department Of Education ESF Section 2 - Higher Education (Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF)) - Reporting Criteria: 2 CFR section 200.328 and 2 CFR section 200.329 requires grantees to submit quarterly reports for both student and institutional portions along with an annual report to the Department of Education. Condition: In our nonstatistical testing of 2 quarterly reports and 1 annual report, it was noted that for the one student report selected, the appropriate form was not used for reporting the current period activity and the report was not posted timely to the Ottawa University website as required. Cause: Management based the reporting requirement on previous guidance that did not require the use of a specific form to report the required data. Updated guidance required a specific form to use. The University did not use the required form, and the information was uploaded to the Ottawa University website 344 days after the deadline. Effect: Information on student disbursements was not available in the required format or required timeframe. Questioned Costs: Not applicable Context: One student report from our sample was not reported in conformity with the guidance. Identification As A Repeat Finding: Not a repeat finding. Recommendation: We recommend that management develop a system with appropriate controls that allows for implementing the most recent guidance on HEERF reporting.Views Of Responsible Officials: See Corrective Action Plan. Completion Date: March 2024 Contact Person: Donna Ferguson, Controller and Director of Fiscal Operations, and Carrie Stevens, Associate Vice President of Compliance