Finding Text
Finding 2024-002 - U.S. Department of Education (USDE), TRIO Cluster Programs (material
weakness):
Information on the federal program – Educational Talent Search, FAL No. 84.044A, June 30,
2024; Upward Bound Program-Summer, FAL No. 84.047A, June 30, 2024; Upward Bound
Program Math and Science, FAL No. 84.047M, June 30, 2024; Educational Opportunity Centers,
FAL No. 84.066A, June 30, 2024
Criteria – Federal regulations governing TRIO programs.
Condition – Instances of noncompliance were noted as more fully described in the context below.
Questioned Costs – See below
Context – We observed the following conditions in connection with our testing of the TRIO
programs:
(a) UB Eligibility Test: of the 17 students selected for testing, one (1) student’s citizenship could
not be determined, two (2) students did not provide any income information on the application,
ten (10) students did not provide tax returns to verify low income as reported.
(b) ETS Eligibility Test: of the 17 students selected for testing, seven (7) students' citizenship
status could not be determined, documentation to support enrollment status was not provided
for 17 students, one (1) student did not have any information uploaded, and one (1) student
has a birthdate discrepancy.
(c) Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) Eligibility Test: of the 17 participants selected for EOC
testing, 17 did not have an enrollment agreement, acceptance letter, nor tax documents
uploaded to adequately test the attributes, and one (1) student did not have a signature page
for the EOC application.
Cause – Oversight by responsible employees of properly monitoring regulatory requirements.
Effect – The College’s participation in the Title IV programs could be subject to USDE sanctions
as applicable.
Repeat Finding – None
Auditor's Recommendation – We recommend the College ensure that all required
documentation is submitted prior to determining the participants' eligibility.