Finding Text
Finding 2024-008 – L. Reporting – Financial Reporting
Information on Federal Program(s) – Federal Pell Grant Program (ALN 84.063)
Criteria or Specific Requirement – Federal regulations require that the University submit origination and disbursement records for students to the Common Origination and Disbursement (“COD”) system. Institutions must report student disbursement data within 15 calendar days after the institution makes a disbursement or becomes aware of the need to make an adjustment to previously reported student disbursement data or expected student disbursement data.
Condition – For certain students identified through our testing, the University did not submit Federal Pell Grant Program payment data through the COD website within the required timeframe.
Cause - Administrative oversight and insufficient internal controls.
Effect or Potential Effect – The University was not in compliance with COD reporting requirements. Failure to submit and update COD records in a timely manner could result in improper awards of Title IV funds.
Questioned Costs – None.
Context – 2 of 25 disbursements tested were not reported within the required timeframe.
Indication of Repeat Finding - No similar findings noted in the prior year.
Recommendation – We recommend the University enhance its procedures and internal controls to ensure timely and accurate reporting of Federal Pell Grant Program payment data.
Views of Responsible Officials – Wheeling University acknowledges that we were not in compliance with the 15-day reporting window for a couple of the students in question. This is due to the fact that the University is on HCM1 and has to do refunds prior to the export to COD. We know this is a finding for multiple departments and internal controls. With that, there was a delay on these two students that were outside the 15-day window. We now have a policy and procedure in place for the HCM1 work flow. Also, have new staff in place to regulate this, so that we always are following the regulations and staying compliant. The procedure is to make sure we do not have this finding again and stay in compliance with the Department of Education reporting requirement regulation.