Finding 1113909 (2024-002)

Significant Deficiency Repeat Finding
Requirement
N
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2024
Accepted
2025-03-26
Audit: 348680
Organization: Delaware Valley University (PA)
Auditor: Bdo USA PC

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The University failed to report accurate and timely enrollment status changes for some students, violating federal requirements.
  • Impacted Requirements: Enrollment statuses must be updated on the NSLDS within 60 days of any change, whether reported directly or through a third party.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Implement and adhere to improved policies and training to ensure accurate and timely reporting of enrollment changes.

Finding Text

Federal Program: Student Financial Assistance Cluster (ALN: Various) Criteria or Specific Requirement (Including Statutory, Regulatory or Other Citation): N. Enrollment Reporting - The University is required to update students’ statuses on the National Student Loans Data System (“NSLDS”) website if they graduate, withdraw or drop to less than half-time status during the fiscal year within 60 days of the date the University becomes aware of the change in enrollment status. Additionally, institutions are responsible for timely reporting, whether they report directly or via a thirdparty servicer. As with any school/servicer arrangement for the administration of the Title IV programs, if the school uses a third party to meet the NSLDS enrollment reporting requirements it is the school that must ensure that enrollment information is submitted timely, accurately, and completely. Condition: For 2 of 40 students sampled whose status changed during the fiscal year, the University failed to report an accurate enrollment status. For 5 of 40 students sampled whose status changed during the fiscal year, the University failed to report the enrollment status within the required timeframe. Cause: Insufficient administrative oversight with respect to enrollment reporting compliance requirements. Effect or Potential Effect: The University is not in compliance with enrollment reporting compliance requirements. Questioned Costs: None. Context: The University did not submit an accurate or timely status change notification to the NSLDS website for certain students who graduated, withdrew or had a change in their enrollment status (full time, half time or less than half time) during the year. Identification as a Repeat Finding: This is a repeat finding from prior year. This was reported as Finding 2023-004 in the prior year schedule of findings and questioned costs. Recommendation: We recommend that the University properly follow its policies and procedures over the applicable compliance requirements of the enrollment reporting to ensure that all status changes are submitted to the NSLDS website accurately and within the required timeframe. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: The University has implemented several corrective actions to address this finding. We have created a comprehensive process document to ensure accurate reporting of student enrollment changes. This document outlines each step of the reporting process in detail, providing clear guidelines and procedures for staff to follow for each type of enrollment report that is required. This document will also outline a procedure for conducting reviews of student status changes to ensure they align with our reported data. These reviews will involve crosschecking the information in our reporting system with data generated by our student information system’s delivered enrollment reporting process to identify discrepancies prior to submitting the report. Additionally, we are seeking training and outside consultation on how to better utilize our student information system more effectively. We will engage with consultants to improve our student information system’s delivered student withdrawal and enrollment reporting processes. By utilizing our student information system’s delivered processes more effectively, we will reduce future enrollment reporting errors.

Categories

Student Financial Aid Matching / Level of Effort / Earmarking Reporting

Other Findings in this Audit

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
84.268 Federal Direct Student Loans $19.84M
84.063 Federal Pell Grant Program $3.00M
84.033 Federal Work-Study Program $297,032
84.007 Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants $170,314
47.076 Stem Education (formerly Education and Human Resources) $76,904
10.001 Agricultural Research Basic and Applied Research $18,393
45.162 Promotion of the Humanities Teaching and Learning Resources and Curriculum Development $6,060
10.309 Specialty Crop Research Initiative $3,165
10.307 Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative $2,928
84.425 Covid-19 Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Student Aid Portion $679