Finding Text
Federal Program Information: Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (ALN: 84.007), Federal Pell Grant Program (ALN: 84.063), and Federal Direct Student Loans (ALN: 84.268) Criteria or Specific Requirement (Including Statutory, Regulatory or Other Citation): N. Special Tests and Provisions – Return of Title IV Funds: The amount of earned Title IV grant or loan assistance is calculated by determining the percentage of Title IV grant or loan assistance that has been earned by the student and applying that percentage to the total amount of Title IV grant or loan assistance that was or could have been disbursed to the student for the payment period or period of enrollment as of the student’s withdrawal date. A student earns 100 percent if his or her withdrawal date is after the completion of 60 percent of (1) the calendar days in the payment period or period of enrollment for a program measured in credit hours, or (2) the clock hours scheduled to be completed for the payment period or period of enrollment for a program measured in clock hours (34 CFR 668.22(e)(2)). Otherwise, the percentage earned by the student is equal to the percentage (60 percent or less) of the payment period or period of enrollment that was completed as of the student’s withdrawal date. The percentage of Title IV grant or loan assistance that has not been earned by the student is the complement of one of these calculations. Standard term-based institutions must always use the payment period as the basis for the determination. The unearned amount of Title IV assistance to be returned is calculated by subtracting the amount of Title IV assistance earned by the student from the amount of Title IV aid that was disbursed to the student as of the date of the institution’s determination that the student withdrew (34 CFR 668.22(e)). Returns of Title IV funds must be distributed in the prescribed order (34 CFR 668.22(i)). Post-withdrawal disbursements of loan funds may be credited to the student’s account if current-year outstanding charges exist on the student’s account, up to the amount of the current-year outstanding charges only after obtaining confirmation from the student, or parent in the case of a parent PLUS loan, that he or she still wishes to have some or all of the loan funds disbursed 34 CFR 668.22(a)(6)). Condition: For certain students that withdrew during the year, the College did not timely or accurately calculate the amounts to be returned to the ED. Cause: Insufficient administrative oversight and internal controls with respect to return of Title IV funds calculations. Effect or Potential Effect: The College was not in compliance with the return of Title IV funds requirements. Questioned Costs: None. Context: For 2 of 4 sampled students, Title IV funds due for return were not returned to the ED within the required time frame. Identification as a Repeat Finding: No similar findings noted in the prior year. Recommendation: We recommend the College enhance its internal controls and policies and procedures over the applicable compliance requirements to ensure that student withdrawal calculations are prepared accurately, and Title IV funds due for return are returned within the required time frame. Views of Responsible Officials: The College acknowledges the exceptions identified related to the timeliness of Return of Title IV (R2T4) calculations and the return of unearned federal funds. The errors were the result of insufficient administrative oversight and internal controls over the withdrawal and R2T4 process. To address this finding, the College will strengthen internal controls and oversight to ensure compliance with federal regulations. The corrective actions include: • Implementing a documented secondary review process for all R2T4 calculations prior to finalization to ensure accuracy and compliance with regulatory requirements. • Enhancing procedures to ensure timely identification of withdrawn students and prompt initiation of the R2T4 calculation process. • Establishing standardized monitoring to ensure all required returns of Title IV funds are processed within the regulatory timeframe. • Developing and implementing a tracking system to monitor withdrawal dates, calculation completion, and return deadlines. • Providing additional training to Financial Aid staff on federal R2T4 regulations and institutional procedures. • Conducting periodic internal quality assurance reviews of R2T4 calculations and returned funds to ensure ongoing compliance.