Finding Text
Assistance Listing, Federal Agency, and Program Name ALNs 84.063 and 84.268; Department of Education; Federal Pell Grant Program and Federal Direct Loan Program Federal Award Identification Number and Year N/A Pass through Entity N/A Finding Type Material weakness and material noncompliance with laws and regulations Repeat Finding Yes 2024 001 Criteria Institutions are required to report enrollment information under the Pell Grant and the Direct and FFEL loan programs via the NSLDS (OMB No. 1845 0035) (Pell, 34 CFR 690.83(b)(2); Direct Loan, 34 CFR 685.309). The administration of the Title IV programs depends heavily on the accuracy and timeliness of the enrollment information reported by institutions. Condition The University of Rio Grande did not report student status changes accurately for certain students who withdrew during the year. Questioned Costs None Identification of How Questioned Costs Were Computed N/A Context Of the 40 students tested for student status change, 2 student status changes were not properly reported. Cause and Effect The University did not have a process in place to ensure proper reporting for all student status changes. As a result, there were instances where reporting of a student who withdrew did not occur. Recommendation We recommend that the University put a control process in place to ensure all student status changes are reported timely and accurately. Views of Responsible Officials and Corrective Action Plan The Director of Financial Aid and the Registrar will establish a formal communication and notification process to review enrollment statuses and status changes for all students who begin attendance each semester. Recurring meetings and calendar reminders will be scheduled every 30 days to ensure this review is conducted consistently and collaboratively. The University is also in the process of updating its student withdrawal process from a paper/PDF form to a fully electronic submission process. This new system will automatically notify all pertinent departments when a student initiates a withdrawal, ensuring timely communication and reducing the likelihood of missed or delayed reporting. Implementing this electronic workflow will further strengthen internal controls and directly support the corrective action plan. The Director of Financial Aid will receive direct access to the National Student Clearinghouse and will be enrolled in automated email alerts to support timely and accurate reporting of all enrollment changes. In the event the Director of Financial Aid is unavailable for the scheduled 30-day review, a designated member of the Financial Aid Office will participate in the review to ensure the process is completed without interruption.