Finding Text
2024-003 Significant Deficiency: Federal Work-Study (FWS) (U.S. Department of Education, Federal Work-Study Program, ALN #84.033)
Criteria: Per the Federal Student Aid Handbook, in general, students are not permitted to work in FWS positions during scheduled class times. Exceptions are permitted if an individual class is cancelled, if the instructor has excused the student from attending for a particular day, and if the student is receiving credit for employment in an internship, externship, or community work-study experience. Any such exemptions must be documented.
Statement of Condition: During the 2024 audit, students were identified to have received Federal Work-Study funds for hours submitted that coincided with scheduled class time without an acceptable exception.
Questioned Costs: This finding is monetary in nature. In the instances noted in testing, the total error is $30 in over-award. Extrapolation of this monetary error estimates a total potential error of $1,096. This does not exceed the $25,000 reporting threshold for monetary error within Federal Award Programs.
Perspective Information: The audit included a detailed testing of 5 files for undergraduate students who had received Federal Work-Study funds for hours worked, of which this error applies to 2, indicating an error rate of 40.00%. This does exceed the reporting threshold of 10% for Federal Award Programs.
Cause and Effect: This issue is the result of oversight during payroll processing. By failing to compare hours submitted as worked hours to student class schedules, students have been over-paid Federal Work-Study funds.
Recommendation: The University should incorporate a step into the payroll process for students that would compare submitted hours to the students’ class schedules.
View of Responsible Officials: The University acknowledges this finding. In order to ensure that this does not occur again, all supervisors have been reminded of the requirement that students do not work during seat time. Regular reminders to supervisors go out about Federal Work Study Guidelines. In addition, as each timesheet is submitted, financial aid shall check to ensure no violations have occurred. Additional training for supervisors will also occur.