Finding 1169345 (2025-002)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
N
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2025
Accepted
2026-01-16
Audit: 382279
Organization: Wayland Baptist University (TX)
Auditor: CAPINCROUSE LLC

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: Incorrect enrollment dates for withdrawals were reported to NSLDS, affecting 6 out of 75 students tested.
  • Impacted Requirements: Compliance with 34 CFR 690.83(b) and 34 CFR 685.309 regarding accurate enrollment reporting.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Implement a system to ensure accurate withdrawal dates, conduct periodic reconciliations, and perform spot checks on enrollment statuses.

Finding Text

Incorrect Enrollment Reporting to National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) Material Weakness DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ALN #: 84.268 and 84.063 Federal Award Identification #: 2024-2025 Financial Aid Year Condition: The NSLDS enrollment status effective date for withdrawals was not accurately sent to NSLDS from the system. Criteria: 34 CFR 690.83(b) and 34 CFR 685.309 Questioned Costs: $0 Context: Out of 75 students tested, 6 students had incorrect effective dates reported for their enrollment status, ranging from 13 to 84 days different. All of these students were official and unofficial withdrawals. Five of the students were corrected during the audit process. Cause: The system tracks the last date of attendance for certain classes, and professors track attendance for other classes, and not all dates are reported within one system to pull for NSLDS enrollment reporting. Effect: Inaccurate reporting can impact a student’s loan grace period in school deferment eligibility, beginning loan repayments, appropriate interest charges, etc. Identification as repeat finding, if applicable: Yes - 2024-001 Recommendation: We recommend the University put a system in place to ensure that the date being reported to NSLDS as the effective date of withdrawal is the actual last date of attendance for the student, that the University is completing reconciliations of enrollment status periodically, and that the University is completing spot checks of enrollment statuses to NSLDS. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Action: Management agrees with the finding. See corrective action plan.

Corrective Action Plan

Incorrect Enrollment Reporting to National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) Planned Corrective Action: WBU has entered into an agreement with Ellucian to implement Ellucian Student powered by Colleague as the new student information system. WBU will start utilizing this new student information system in April 2026. WBU will utilize the built-in functionality and tools to report to NSLDS at that time which should correct this issue completely. We will continue to work towards compliance with NSLDS reporting requirements through the following action plan: An internal SSRS report for official and unofficial withdrawals which accurately reflects withdrawn students remains available to the WBU offices of Financial Aid and the Registrar for verification as part of the planned corrective action. The custom NSC reporting tool(s) will continue to be updated to make sure the correct combination of fields and corresponding data sources are reported as accurately as possible. WBU will continue to work with NSC to mitigate issues related to data not transferring correctly between NSC and NSLDS. • A field-by-field analysis plus any needed corrections to the queries will be performed. o By default, term "W" withdrawals are reconsidered by the updated tool each time a report is generated for NSC. o Some date fields have been corrected that were previously misunderstood by the custom tool's historical authors. o Post-submission error corrections by registrar staff via NSC's website are spot-checked by Information Technology when requested. o If certain data issues cannot be resolved satisfactorily via NSC alone, then corrective measures via NSLDS directly may be considered. o The PowerCampus 9.1.2 baseline product's NSC reporting tool was determined to be insufficient for timely and accurate reporting to NSC with WBU's current data on several counts. WBU has upgraded the PowerCampus system to version 9.2.3 and will continue to work towards a solution for the baseline reporting tool with the upgraded system.  Some of the recurring data updates needed before running the PC baseline tool, are still being run periodically as a source data benefit for the custom tool. Person Responsible for Corrective Action Plan: Chief Information Officer, Cagan Cummings Anticipated Date of Completion: Ongoing

Categories

Reporting Student Financial Aid Eligibility Material Weakness Matching / Level of Effort / Earmarking

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1169339 2025-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1169340 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1169341 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1169342 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1169343 2025-006
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1169344 2025-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1169346 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1169347 2025-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1169348 2025-006
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1169349 2025-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1169350 2025-001
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
84.268 FEDERAL DIRECT STUDENT LOANS $15.52M
84.063 FEDERAL PELL GRANT PROGRAM $7.03M
84.031 HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONAL AID $639,577
84.007 FEDERAL SUPPLEMENTAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY GRANTS $222,842
84.116 FUND FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION $189,776
84.033 FEDERAL WORK-STUDY PROGRAM $171,842
47.076 STEM EDUCATION (FORMERLY EDUCATION AND HUMAN RESOURCES) $138,122
84.021 OVERSEAS PROGRAMS - GROUP PROJECTS ABROAD $58,948
16.525 GRANTS TO REDUCE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND STALKING ON CAMPUS $57,851