Title: Student Financial Assistance Cluster – Assistance Listing Nos. 84.038, 84.268, 84.033, 84.007, 84.063
Recommendation: We recommend the College review its reporting procedures to ensure that students’ statuses are accurately and timely reported to NSLDS as required by regulations.
Explanation ...
Title: Student Financial Assistance Cluster – Assistance Listing Nos. 84.038, 84.268, 84.033, 84.007, 84.063
Recommendation: We recommend the College review its reporting procedures to ensure that students’ statuses are accurately and timely reported to NSLDS as required by regulations.
Explanation of disagreement with audit finding: There is no disagreement with the audit finding.
Action taken in response to finding:
Issue: Taylor Theiste began official withdrawal process on 1/31/23. This date was used in Return of Title IV calculations, and entered into PowerFAIDS system. Student was asked to unenroll from the courses by the Registrar, which she did, but not until 2 days later.
Resolution: Jeff Younge (Director of Financial Aid) met with Sergio Salgado (Registrar) and Lisa Shubert (Manager of Administrative Computing and Institutional Reporting) on 11/29/23. Going forward, when student indicates intent to withdraw, Registrar will unenroll the student from courses using the withdrawal date used for Title IV purposes. This will ensure that the correct date is reported to Clearinghouse, and then to NSLDS. Issue: Ben Draper began official withdrawal process on 1/20/23. Since this was the 10th day of class, he was not included in the Census Report that was run at the end of the day (although correct date was used for Return of Title IV calculations, and transcript shows Ws). Consequently, he was treated for reporting purposes as if he did not return for spring semester, and withdrawal date sent to Clearinghouse, and then on to NSLDS, reverted to last day of the previous fall semester, which was 12/15/22.
Resolution: On December 20, 2023, meeting was held in Luther Hall that included the following:
(Stacey Dawley, Jeff Lemke, Jason Lowrey, Ted Manthe, Daniel Mundahl, Sergio Salgado, Lisa Shubert, Renee Tatge, Estelle Vlieger, Jeff Younge)
Proposal was made (and accepted by this group, and later the President) that stated the following:
1. Add/Drop period is day 1-5 of fall and spring semester. During this time, classes can be added, and dropped courses disappear from student schedule/transcript, as if student did not begin the class. Courses withdrawn from after 5th day result in a grade on the transcript (W, WP/WF, or F, depending on the timing of the withdrawal). This is the current policy, not a proposed change.
2. Change wording of refund policy, so that instead of Week 1, Week 2, Week 3...it is worded as Day 1-5, Day 6-10, Day 11-15... (This solves the issue of 1st week being only 4 days in the fall, but 5 days in the spring, and the day after Labor Day being the 10th day of class, but 3rd week of the semester).
3. Change Census report figures from being (10th day) to (end of 5th day). That does not mean census report is available on the 5th day, but just that the information is “locked” as of that day for reporting purposes.
Name of the contact person responsible for corrective action: Jeff Younge, Director of Financial Aid
Planned completion date for corrective action plan: 3/26/2024