Information on the federal program: Federal Direct Student Loans, FAL No. 84.268, June 30, 2025; Federal Pell Grant Program, FAL No. 84. 063, June 30, 2025; Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, FAL No. 84.007, June 30, 2025; Federal Work-Study Program, FAL No. 84.033, June 30, 2025. F...
Information on the federal program: Federal Direct Student Loans, FAL No. 84.268, June 30, 2025; Federal Pell Grant Program, FAL No. 84. 063, June 30, 2025; Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, FAL No. 84.007, June 30, 2025; Federal Work-Study Program, FAL No. 84.033, June 30, 2025. Finding 2025-001 - U.S. Department of Education (ED), Title IV Student Financial Aid Programs- Pell Grant Disbursement Reported in Incorrect Award Year (significant deficiency): Criteria – Per 34 CFR § 690.61, institutions must ensure that Pell Grant disbursements are made and reported for the correct award year and in accordance with program requirements. Institutions are required to report Pell Grant disbursements in the correct award year and submit all disbursement records by the published COD closeout deadline for the applicable award year Disbursements not reported by the closeout deadline may not be shifted to a subsequent award year to compensate for missed reporting. Condition - For the 2024–2025 award year, testing revealed that one (1) out of ten (10) students selected for testing became eligible for a Federal Pell Grant disbursement of $204 during the 2023–2024 award year. The institution failed to process and report the disbursement in COD prior to the 2023–2024 COD closeout deadline. To compensate, the institution incorrectly posted the $204 disbursement to the student’s account and reported the payment to COD under the subsequent 2024–2025 award year. Cause – The infraction appears to have resulted from failure to monitor and comply with COD Pell Grant closeout deadlines and inadequate controls to ensure disbursements are reported in the correct award year. Effect – Pell Grant disbursement activity was reported inaccurately to the Department of Education. Reporting the disbursement in the incorrect award year compromises the accuracy and integrity of federal Pell reporting. Misreported Pell activity increases the risk of required data corrections and program review findings. Questioned Costs - $204 Perspective – Accurate and timely reporting of Pell Grant disbursements by award year is a key Title IV compliance control, as Pell Grant funding is awarded, monitored, and closed out on an annual basis. In this instance, one (1) out of ten (10) students tested (10%) had a Pell Grant disbursement that was reported in an incorrect award year due to failure to meet the applicable COD closeout deadline. Although the dollar amount involved was limited, the error demonstrates that controls designed to ensure award-year accuracy and timely COD reporting did not operate effectively. Repeat Finding – No Auditor’s Recommendation – We recommend that the institution strengthen closeout monitoring procedures, ensure award-year accuracy, and perform periodic internal reviews. Management’s Response – For the 2024–2025 award year, one (1) out of ten (10) students selected for testing became eligible for a Federal Pell Grant disbursement of $204 in the 2023-2024 award year. The institution failed to process the disbursement in COD prior to the 2023-2024 closeout deadline. To compensate, the institution incorrectly posted the $204 disbursement to the student’s account and reported the payment to COD under the subsequent 2024-2025 award year. Per 34 C.F.R. § 690.61 and the U.S. Department of Education’s Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) system requirements, institutions must report Pell Grant disbursements in the correct award year and by the published COD closeout deadline. A. Agree B. Conditions That Caused the Infraction a. Upon further review of the student’s account ledger, the institution identified that a $204 Pell Grant disbursement was incorrectly reflected for the Fall 2024 term. The student did not attend or enroll in Fall 2024; therefore, no Title IV funds should have been associated with that payment period. b. The Pell award was disbursed but was not properly aligned with the student’s actual enrollment timeline. Although the student attended Summer 2024 and Spring 2025, the institution did not submit a Student Bill Letter (SBL) for Spring 2025 because the student was enrolled in only one course. At the time, institutional practice did not require SBL submission for students enrolled less than half time or in a single course. As a result: The Pell disbursement was not aligned with the correct payment period. The $204 Pell award was incorrectly reflected as a Fall 2024 disbursement instead of being applied to the appropriate term. This created a compliance issue related to Title IV disbursement timing and documentation. Subsequent guidance from FA Solutions clarified that SBLs must be submitted for all enrolled students, regardless of enrollment intensity, to ensure proper alignment of Title IV funds with the correct payment period. C. The School’s Planned Corrective Action Plan (CAP)- The institution will implement the following corrective actions to address and prevent recurrence of this finding: a. Ledger Correction The Student Accounts Office will revise the student’s ledger to accurately reflect the $204 Pell Grant disbursement as a Summer 2024 credit/refund, the term in which the student had eligible enrollment. Any misapplied term references will be removed to ensure alignment with Title IV regulations. b. Policy and Procedure Update Institutional procedures will be updated to require submission of Student Bill Letters (SBLs) for all enrolled students, including those enrolled in a single course or less than half time, when Title IV funds are involved. This requirement will be documented in both Financial Aid and Student Accounts procedural manuals. c. Staff Training Financial Aid and Student Accounts staff will receive training on updated SBL submission requirements and Title IV disbursement alignment. Training will include review of payment period eligibility, enrollment intensity, and documentation standards. d. Cross Departmental Review Process Financial Aid and Student Accounts will implement a secondary review process prior to Pell disbursement to confirm: Enrollment for the applicable term Presence of a submitted SBL Correct payment period assignment D. Responsible Officials a. Dr. Gina Garlington, Financial Aid Administrator Responsible for Title IV compliance, staff training, SBL submission, and oversight of Pell disbursement procedures. b. CLA, Third Party Servicer and School’s Student Accounts Office Responsible for ledger corrections, and reconciliation of student accounts. E. Expected Timeline for Implementation a. All timelines have been complete F. Monitoring of Corrective Action Plan a. The CAP will be monitored through the following mechanisms: Monthly reconciliation reviews between Financial Aid and Student Accounts Random sampling of Pell disbursements to confirm correct payment period alignment. Annual internal compliance review of SBL submissions and Title IV disbursements. Documentation of corrective actions retained for audit and program review purposes. Any discrepancies identified during monitoring will be addressed immediately and documented. G. Status of CAP Prior to This Finding a. This is the first occurrence of this finding for the institution. b. No prior corrective action plan existed addressing this specific issue. View of Responsible Officials- Officials agree with findings