2022-007 ? Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds Earmarking Requirements Auditor Description of Condition and Effect. The University had excess funds after disbursing to students from the student portion of HEERF III emergency financial aid grants. Management discharge...
2022-007 ? Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds Earmarking Requirements Auditor Description of Condition and Effect. The University had excess funds after disbursing to students from the student portion of HEERF III emergency financial aid grants. Management discharged outstanding student balances using the excess student portion of HEERF III. Management advised students the funds could be applied to outstanding balances; however, students were not given the option to receive a cash payment in lieu of being applied to outstanding balances. Management also did not maintain detail records tracking how HEERF funds were spent across HEERF I, HEERF II, and HEERF III. As a result of this condition, the student portion of HEERF III was used for a purpose other than to provide emergency financial aid grants to students. The University partially discharged the existing student balance of 31 students amounting to $88,958. The University did not spend the required cumulative minimum of the student portion on allowable costs. Auditor Recommendation. We recommend management and accounting personnel with involvement in federal funding attend grant specific trainings and that the University maintain detailed records to allow the proper tracking of federal expenditures on a grant level basis. "Corrective Action: The University better understands the tracking requirements and the University will ensure any future funds are tracked appropriately based on the grant guidelines. Specifically with respect to HEERF III disbursements, Cleary agrees with the finding. After disbursing HEERF III funds to each student, some students had remaining outstanding balances. Management was concerned for a subset of 31 students who still had large remaining balances and were in danger of having that balance sent to a collection agency. So the remaining funds available were applied to the balances of those students. In other communications to students, the University had in the past offered students the option of applying the funds to their accounts or taking the amount in cash. Due to an oversight, the University did not offer that option to students in this circumstance. The University should have presented students with the option of receiving the HEERF funds in cash rather than having it applied to their student account. The University is in the process of drafting a communication to each of the 31 individual students affected, making them aware that Cleary applied HEERF funds to their outstanding student balances but should have offered a cash payment option. The letter will state that Cleary can issue cash disbursements if the student contacts the Student Accounts office. The communication also makes it clear to students that this will create a balance due on their current student account that must be satisfied before they can re-register for classes. In addition, Business Office and Financial Aid staff involved in federal funding will attend grant-specific training on an annual basis." Responsible Person. Alan Drimmer Anticipated Completion Date: 4/20/2023