Views of Responsible Officials and Corrective Action Plan During Fall 2024, the Financial Aid Office experienced the departure of two key senior staff members who were primarily responsible for Return to Title IV (R2T4) processing and the reversal of federal funds. As a result, new staff were tempor...
Views of Responsible Officials and Corrective Action Plan During Fall 2024, the Financial Aid Office experienced the departure of two key senior staff members who were primarily responsible for Return to Title IV (R2T4) processing and the reversal of federal funds. As a result, new staff were temporarily assigned to manage these responsibilities during the transition period, which contributed to delays in returning funds within the required regulatory timeframe. A comprehensive review of all R2T4 calculations completed during the 2024–2025 aid year determined that records processed prior to mid-November 2024 had over awarded funds returned within the applicable 45- and 30-day regulatory timeframes. This timeframe aligns with the period when the responsible staff members announced their retirements. To resolve this matter and prevent recurrence, the District has implemented the following corrective measures. Targeted R2T4 Training: Staff responsible for Return to Title IV (R2T4) processing and disbursement reversals are in the process of completing the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) R2T4 credential training. This certification will ensure staff possess consistent, up-to-date knowledge of federal requirements around the R2T4 process to include the timelines required to return over-awarded funds to the department. Automated Monitoring Report: A recurring monitoring report has been established to identify students with pending Returns of Title IV (R2T4) funds. The report automatically flags cases exceeding 30 days and, for students who withdrew prior to the start of the term, those exceeding 20 days. Department managers will generate and review this report on a weekly basis to ensure timely compliance with federal return requirements. In instances where pending returns are identified as being past the alert threshold, Financial Aid management will promptly coordinate with Fiscal Services to expedite the return of funds and document resolution actions. Cross-Training for Continuity of Operations: Ongoing cross-training has been implemented among Financial Aid staff to ensure sufficient coverage during vacations, extended leaves, or unexpected absences. At least two designated staff members will be fully trained and authorized to perform R2T4 calculations and return processing to prevent delays in compliance during personnel transitions. These measures strengthen accountability, monitoring, and collaboration between the Financial Aid and Fiscal Services departments to ensure full compliance with federal cash management and return regulations.