Finding Text
Criteria: In accordance with CFR section 685.309(b)(2) "Unless it 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 halftime basis for the period for which the loan was intended." Condition: We reviewed a sample of 40 students who received financial aid and had enrollment status changes during the fiscal year. Of the 40 students tested, 27 students did not have timely or proper status changes reported to the NSLDS. 1 of which was never reported for the semester that the student began enrollment. Population and Sample Size: Number Dollars Questioned Cost Population 1,285 $ N/A $ N/A Sample 40 N/A N/A Not in compliance 27 N/A None Effect: A student's enrollment status determines eligibility for in-school status, deferment, and grace periods, as well as for the payment of interest subsidies, all of which are negatively impacted by inaccurate and late reporting. Cause: The College changed software systems in fiscal year 2024. Due to this change in systems, enrollment reports submitted to the NSLDS no longer contained any students who had withdrawn. The reports that were submitted showed all withdrawn students as still enrolled until the following semester when they no longer showed up as a current student. The college failed to review the reports prior to submission to the NSLDS to ensure withdrawn students were appropriately caught, resulting in enrollment statuses for students not being reported in a timely manner. Recommendation: We recommend that the college work with Ellucian Colleague, the new software system, to update the system settings to track enrollment changes for students. We recommend management develop a report to generate that can be uploaded to the NSLDS with accurate enrollment statuses, as well as create an internal process of review to ensure that the reports are accurate before they are submitted to the NSLDS.