Finding 1153470 (2025-001)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
N
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2025
Accepted
2025-09-19

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The University failed to report all student status changes on time, affecting compliance with federal requirements.
  • Impacted Requirements: Non-compliance with Pell Grant and Direct Loan reporting regulations, specifically regarding timely updates to the Secretary of Education.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Implement a reconciliation process between the system of record and reporting system to ensure timely reporting of all student changes.

Finding Text

III. Federal Awards Findings and Questioned Costs FINDING 2025‐001 – Special Tests and Provisions – Enrollment Reporting Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance Student Financial Assistance Cluster U.S. Department of Education Assistance Listing Number: 84.063,84.268, Federal Program Name: Student Financial Assistance Cluster Award Year: 2024-25 Criteria: Pell Grant, Section 34 CFR Section 690.83(b) (2) An institution shall submit, in accordance with deadline dates established by the Secretary (Secretary of the Department of Education), through publication in the Federal Register, other reports and information the Secretary requires and shall comply with the procedures the Secretary finds necessary to ensure that the reports are correct. Direct Loan, Section 34 CFR Section 685.309(b) (2) Unless the institution expects to submit its next updated enrollment report to the Secretary within the next 60 days, a school must notify the Secretary within 30 days after the date the school discovers that a loan under title IV of the Act was made to or on behalf of a student who was enrolled or accepted for enrollment at the school, and the student has ceased to be enrolled on at least a half-time basis or failed to enroll on at least a half-time basis for the period for which the loan was intended. Condition and context: A sample of 35 students who possessed status changes during the year were selected for our testing procedures. Our sample was selected using a random and judgmental sampling methodology, from a population of 865 total status changes. Student record changes were compared to updated enrollment reports sent to the Secretary. We noted that of 35 students sampled and tested, three student withdrawals and one graduated student were not reported timely. We did not expand our sample. Questioned costs: None Effect: The University did not report all student status changes in a timely manner. This information is utilized by the Department of Education, the Federal Direct Loan program, lenders, and other institutions to determine in‐school status. Cause: A reconciliation process has not been designed or implemented to ensure that all status changes have been captured from the system of record to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS). Repeat finding: Yes, 2024-001. Recommendation: We recommend the University implements a reconciliation between the system of record and the reporting system to ensure all student changes (enrollment status and address changes) are reported on a timely basis.

Corrective Action Plan

FINDING 2025‐001 – Special Tests and Provisions – Enrollment Reporting Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance Recommendation: The University should implement a reconciliation between the system of record and the reporting system to ensure all student changes (enrollment status and address changes) are reported on a timely basis. Response: There is no disagreement with this audit finding. Action taken in response to finding: Gonzaga has already taken action and implemented quality assurance reports and monitoring to ensure all student changes (enrollment status and address changes) are reported timely. Additionally, to strengthen compliance going forward, Student Financial Services and the Registrar’s Office are partnering to conduct a joint annual training and process mapping session for key personnel. This session will provide an overview of enrollment reporting requirements, outline the steps needed when exceptions to normal policies occur, and evaluate processes to improve understanding of how decisions affect both upstream and downstream functions. The session will also focus on building a shared understanding of reporting processes, identifying gaps in procedures and knowledge, and establishing communication channels so that exceptions are addressed timely, consistently and appropriately. These actions are designed to enhance internal controls and ensure compliance of timely reporting between the system of record and the reporting system, and we expect to complete this training by September 12, 2025. Contact Person(s): Sarah Everitt, Dean of Student Financial Services; Maxwell Kwenda, University Registrar & Director of Institutional Research

Categories

Student Financial Aid Special Tests & Provisions Reporting Significant Deficiency Matching / Level of Effort / Earmarking Internal Control / Segregation of Duties

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1153464 2025-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1153465 2025-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1153466 2025-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1153467 2025-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1153468 2025-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1153469 2025-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1153471 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1153472 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1153473 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1153474 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1153475 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1153476 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1153477 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
84.268 Federal Direct Student Loans $57.68M
84.063 Federal Pell Grant Program $6.17M
84.038 Federal Perkins Loan Program_federal Capital Contributions $2.89M
11.617 Congressionally-Identified Projects $1.32M
84.033 Federal Work-Study Program $1.13M
66.044 Wildfire Smoke Preparedness in Community Buildings Grant Program $630,496
84.007 Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants $559,296
93.364 Nursing Student Loans $304,946
93.647 Social Services Research and Demonstration $163,709
93.044 Special Programs for the Aging, Title Iii, Part B, Grants for Supportive Services and Senior Centers $141,037
21.008 Low Income Taxpayer Clinics $111,829
45.161 Promotion of the Humanities Research $108,551
45.164 Promotion of the Humanities Public Programs $97,995
66.616 Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants Program $88,474
93.866 Aging Research $82,772
10.652 Forestry Research $80,021
47.049 Mathematical and Physical Sciences $58,608
93.124 Nurse Anesthetist Traineeship $46,371
93.136 Injury Prevention and Control Research and State and Community Based Programs $43,061
84.379 Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grants (teach Grants) $18,860
10.310 Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (afri) $12,883
47.083 Integrative Activities $10,279
47.076 Stem Education (formerly Education and Human Resources) $7,141
11.431 Climate and Atmospheric Research $7,085
93.747 Elder Abuse Prevention Interventions Program $6,364
20.200 Highway Research and Development Program $2,903
47.074 Biological Sciences $1,091