Federal Program
Student Financial Assistance Cluster
Compliance requirements
Reporting and Special Tests and Provisions - Verification
Condition
During testing, we identified that five students of the 40 tested showed a status code within COD origination records that indicated that they had been ...
Federal Program
Student Financial Assistance Cluster
Compliance requirements
Reporting and Special Tests and Provisions - Verification
Condition
During testing, we identified that five students of the 40 tested showed a status code within COD origination records that indicated that they had been selected for, and undergone, the verification process. However, upon review of their files, verification had not been completed.
Recommendation
We recommend that the College review its controls to ensure that accurate data is reported.
Comments on the Finding Recommendation
During the year, the College had turnover in experienced staff within the financial aid office. The reporting errors were the result of new employees not yet having the training and experience to catch the input of incorrect data.
Action Taken
As of September 11, 2023, the financial aid office has reviewed the verification status reported for all Fiscal Year 2023 students. Of those students, 81 were identified to have an inaccurate verification status code within the College’s software. Those codes were all updated, and 75 of those were Pell recipients who were additionally updated in COD. Per COD support, loan-only recipients cannot be updated. In addition, trainings have been conducted to ensure that all staff are aware of the proper procedures.