Finding 1174791 (2025-008)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
P
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2025
Accepted
2026-02-20
Audit: 388309
Organization: Clarkson College (NE)

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The College lacks a formal process for regularly reconciling Nursing Student Loan and Nurse Faculty Loan Program balances, leading to a significant deficiency in internal controls.
  • Impacted Requirements: Compliance with 34 CFR 668.16 requires monthly reconciliations, especially during high transaction periods, which the College failed to meet.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Provide training and support for staff to ensure adherence to reconciliation policies and federal requirements.

Finding Text

Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Education Federal Program Title: Student Financial Aid Assistance Listing Number: Student Financial Aid Cluster Award Period: July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025 Type of Finding: • Significant Deficiency in Internal Control Over Compliance • Other Matters Criteria or Specific Requirement: The Code of Federal Regulations, 34 CFR 668.16 and volume 4 states that, at a minimum, the College should reconcile its FSA financial records monthly and should be conducted on a more frequent basis during periods of high transaction volume. Condition: During our testing, we noted there was no formal process in place for reconciling and reviewing the Nursing Student Loan (NSL) and Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) balances on a regular basis. Questioned Costs: None Context: The College did not have proper internal controls in place during the 2024-25 academic year to ensure compliance with federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award. Cause: Due to an ongoing reconciling difference with the loan servicer, the College was not able to perform timely reconciliations. Effect or Potential Effect of Finding: Timely reconciliations and adequate review of financial transactions can protect the College’s assets and ensure the accounting records are accurate. Repeat Finding: Yes, see finding 2024-007. Recommendation: We recommend the College provide all necessary employees with training, support, and sufficient time to follow College policies and federal requirements related to monthly reconciliations. Views of Responsible Officials: There is no disagreement with the audit finding.

Corrective Action Plan

2025-008 Student Financial Aid Cluster – Assistance Listing No. 84.063 Recommendation: We recommend the College provide all necessary employees with training, support, and sufficient time to follow College policies and federal requirements related to monthly reconciliations. Explanation of disagreement with audit finding: There is no disagreement with the audit finding. Action taken in response to finding: The College utilizes a third party service provider to service both the Nurse Student and Nurse Faculty Loan programs. Due to staff turnover and the student information system implementation of Anthology, there was inconcistency in what was has been provided for both loan programs. As of FY 2025 year-end and looking forward, the College finance team has taken the additional steps to review and reconcile the balances. In the review, it was noted that there was an issue with the uploading of date to the third party provider and the College has added additional controls in a review of data that is received by the provider as well as regular communication between the College Finance department and Financial Aid departments on any discrepencies. Name(s) of the contact person(s) responsible for corrective action: Nathan Wiegand, VP of College Finance/CFO Planned completion date for corrective action plan: Implemented in FY 2026.

Categories

Significant Deficiency Matching / Level of Effort / Earmarking Internal Control / Segregation of Duties

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1174736 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174737 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174738 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174739 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174740 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174741 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174742 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174743 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174744 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174745 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174746 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174747 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174748 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174749 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174750 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174751 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174752 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174753 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174754 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174755 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174756 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174757 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174758 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174759 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174760 2025-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174761 2025-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174762 2025-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174763 2025-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174764 2025-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174765 2025-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174766 2025-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174767 2025-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174768 2025-006
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174769 2025-006
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174770 2025-006
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174771 2025-006
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174772 2025-006
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174773 2025-006
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174774 2025-006
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174775 2025-006
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174776 2025-007
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174777 2025-007
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174778 2025-007
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174779 2025-007
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174780 2025-007
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174781 2025-007
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174782 2025-007
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174783 2025-007
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174784 2025-008
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174785 2025-008
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174786 2025-008
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174787 2025-008
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174788 2025-008
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174789 2025-008
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1174790 2025-008
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
84.268 FEDERAL DIRECT STUDENT LOANS $10.27M
84.063 FEDERAL PELL GRANT PROGRAM $1.43M
93.264 NURSE FACULTY LOAN PROGRAM (NFLP) $753,020
93.364 NURSING STUDENT LOANS $608,904
84.033 FEDERAL WORK-STUDY PROGRAM $42,196
84.007 FEDERAL SUPPLEMENTAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY GRANTS $33,497