Finding 1160855 (2025-003)

Federal programs Federal Pell Grant Program AL #: 84.063 Award Year: 2024/2025 Type of finding Significant Deficiency and Noncompliance Compliance requirement Program Eligibility Criteria Under 34 CFR § 668.8, an eligible “short-term” program that requires a minimum of 10 weeks of instruction, beginning on the first day of classes and ending on the last day of classes or examinations; is at least 300 clock hours but less than 600 clock hours; provides undergraduate training that prepares a student for gainful employment in a recognized occupation; and admits as regular students some persons who have not completed the equivalent of an associate degree must have a substantiated completion rate of at least 70 percent and a substantiated placement rate of at least 70 percent. The University must calculate the completion and placement rate based on the information outlined in 34 CFR § 668.8(e)(1)(i) and (ii). In addition, the University must obtain evidence to document that each student determined to have obtained gainful employment in a recognized occupation used in the placement rate calculation and ensure that the students’ status is properly reflected in the completion calculation. Condition One student enrolled in the ranch management short-term program selected for testing had inconsistencies in their enrollment status reported by the ranch management program and enrollment information that was reflected in the student’s PeopleSoft account. The University is not calculating the completion and placement rate based on the requirements outlined in the 34 CFR § 668.8(e)(1)(i) and (ii). Questioned costs $39,277 Context The University’s is not calculating the completion and placement rates or properly maintaining students’ enrollment information for short-term programs. Cause The ranch management department is maintaining documentation that reflects the short-term program students who received their certification and were employed; however, the documentation is not shared to the Registrar’s office, resulting in inconsistencies between the students’ enrollment status in PeopleSoft and documentation maintained by the department. In addition, the documentation does not calculate the completion and placement rate based on the requirements outlined in the Compliance Supplement and 34 CFR § 668.8(e)(1)(i) and (ii). Effect A student who was expelled from the ranch management program was not properly reflected in PeopleSoft, resulting in the University improperly reporting that the student completed and graduated from the program. In addition, the University’s ranch management department maintains a list of students who completed and were hired for this short-term program but the University is not calculating the rate of completion and placement based on the requirements outlined in 34 CFR § 668.8. Repeat finding No Recommendations We recommend that the University implement controls to ensure the required completion and placement calculations are performed for each eligible short-term program and ensure the student information included in the calculation is accurate and properly reflected in PeopleSoft.View of responsible officials The University has found a critical breakdown in communication between the Ranch Management department and the Registrar’s Office, stemming from informal, ad hoc processes that have not scaled with institutional needs. Specifically, there is no formal mechanism to ensure that updates to student statuses for the ranch management program are consistently reported or verified. To prevent recurrence of this issue, a process is being implemented that all Non-Degree programs will now be required to perform formal degree audits within the student information system. This ensures consistency in processing and aligns with practices currently used for degree-seeking students. Targeted training and communication will be provided to all Non-Degree program administrators to ensure clarity on new expectations, tools, and timelines. The Registrar’s Office will conduct periodic audits of non-degree program records to verify compliance and identify any further process improvements.