Finding 1164451 (2025-001)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
L
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2025
Accepted
2025-12-11
Audit: 373962
Organization: Oklahoma Wesleyan University (OK)

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: Incorrect enrollment status change dates were reported for five students, affecting loan servicer awareness of repayment and interest timelines.
  • Impacted Requirements: Accurate reporting of enrollment changes to NSLDS must occur within sixty days to ensure proper loan management.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: The Financial Aid Director should ensure timely updates to NSLDS and improve procedures to prevent future date inaccuracies.

Finding Text

Federal Agency:U.S. Department of Education; Office of Federal Student Aid Pass through Entity:Not applicable Program Name: Federal Direct Student Loan Program ALN and Program Expenditures: 84.268 ($5,587,282) Award Number: P268K252030 Federal Award Year: July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025 Questioned Costs: N/A Condition Found: The incorrect effective date of an enrollment status change was reported to the National Student Loan Database System (“NSLDS”) for five of the forty-three students selected for testing. Criteria: NSLDS informs loan servicers of changes in a student’s enrollment status that indicate when the repayments or interest accrual begins and ends. The date a student enrolls, withdraws, graduates, or drops below half-time status should be reported accurately. This information must be reported within sixty days of the status change. Cause: All five of the students withdrew during the semester. NSLDS was originally updated timely with the correct withdrawal date. However, a later update changed the effective date of the withdrawal to the last date of the semester. Possible Asserted Effect: The loan servicers were not aware of the correct deferral, repayment, and interest calculation dates. Repeat Finding: There was not a similar finding in the prior year. Statistical Sampling: The sample was not intended to be, and was not, a statistically valid sample. Recommendation: The Financial Aid Director should update the withdrawal date for the students in question in NSLDS. Procedures should be improved to ensure that the correct withdrawal date is reported in NSLDS. Management Response: Management agrees with the auditors’ finding and their recommendation. The NSLDS withdrawal date was updated for one of the students in question before the audit began on July 7, 2025. The withdrawal dates for the remaining four students were updated in August 2025. The student financial office will review withdrawal dates for students who leave during the semester to ensure the dates are not changed to the last date of the semester.

Corrective Action Plan

Management agrees with the auditors’ finding and their recommendation. The NSLDS withdrawal date was updated for one of the students in question before the audit began on July 7, 2025. The withdrawal dates for the remaining four students were updated in August 2025. The student financial office will review withdrawal dates for students who leave during the semester to ensure the dates are not changed to the last date of the semester. Anticipated Completion Date: The corrective action was completed in August 2025. Contact Person Shala LaTorraca, Director of Financial Aid 918-335-6260

Categories

Student Financial Aid Matching / Level of Effort / Earmarking

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
84.268 FEDERAL DIRECT STUDENT LOANS $5.59M
84.063 FEDERAL PELL GRANT PROGRAM $1.81M
84.033 FEDERAL WORK-STUDY PROGRAM $116,524
84.007 FEDERAL SUPPLEMENTAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY GRANTS $115,959
84.379 TEACHER EDUCATION ASSISTANCE FOR COLLEGE AND HIGHER EDUCATION GRANTS (TEACH GRANTS) $50,922
84.038 FEDERAL PERKINS LOAN PROGRAM_FEDERAL CAPITAL CONTRIBUTIONS $0