Finding Text
Assistance Listing Numbers, Federal Agency, and Program Name - Student Financial Assistance Cluster - Federal Direct Student Loans Program (ALN 84.268), Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Program (ALN 84.007), and Federal Pell Grant Program (ALN 84.063)
Federal Award Identification Number and Year - Various
Pass-through Entity - None
Finding Type - Material weakness and material noncompliance with laws and regulations
Repeat Finding - No
Criteria - If a recipient of Title IV grant or loan funds withdraws from a school after beginning attendance, but before he or she has attended 60 percent of the scheduled length of the semester, the school must perform a return of Title IV funds (R2T4) calculation. If the amount disbursed to the student is greater than the amount the student earned, the unearned funds must be returned. A school must return unearned funds for which it is responsible no later than 45 days from the determination of a student's withdrawal (30 days if never attended) (34 CFR 668.220)(1)).
When a recipient of Title IV grant or loan assistance withdraws from an institution during a payment period or period of enrollment in which the recipient began attendance, the institution must determine the amount of Title IV aid earned by the student as of the student's withdrawal date.
Condition - Out of 60 students tested for return to Title IV, we identified 24 students whose calculations were performed incorrectly.
Questioned Costs $13,459
Identification of How Questioned Costs Were Computed The $13,459 of questioned costs was determined by calculating the total aid required to be returned for the 24 students out of our total sample of 60 students, which had total aid disbursed of $191,516.
Context - The College did not review students who unofficially withdrew from the College during the winter and summer semesters. Out of our sample of 60 students who withdrew from the College during the fiscal year, 20 students did not have a return of Title IV funds calculation performed. In addition to the students who did not have a calculation performed, the School did not properly calculate 4 students return to Title IV calculations. In each instance, the calculation included the initial amount of the aid the student was entitled to and not the actual amount of aid disbursed.
Cause and Effect - The College experienced turnover in the financial aid department and throughout the transition, historical procedures and controls were not followed. As a result, the controls to properly identify, calculate, and return Title IV funds for withdrawals were not operating effectively.
Recommendation - The College should implement procedures and controls to review all the students who may need calculations completed and to vierify that the information used in the Title IV calculations is accurate.
Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions - The College will work with its director of financial aid to ensure the semester end procedures include steps to identify those students who unofficially withdrew. Once the students are identified, individuals with the appropriate skills and knowledge will be able to determine if a return of Title IV calculation is necessary and appropriately return any funds, as necessary.