Finding 1182094 (2025-001)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
N
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2025
Accepted
2026-03-23
Audit: 393464
Organization: Erikson Institute (IL)

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The Institute reported incorrect disbursement dates for unsubsidized loans to the COD system.
  • Impacted Requirements: Compliance with reporting deadlines (15 days) as mandated by the Department of Education.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Review and improve procedures for reporting loan disbursements to ensure accuracy and compliance.

Finding Text

Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Program Title: Student Financial Assistance Cluster ALN Numbers: Various Award Period: July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025 Type of Finding: • Significant Deficiency in Internal Control Over Compliance • Other Matters Criteria or Specific Requirement: The Department of Education requires the Institute to report the disbursement dates and amounts to the Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) system within 15 days of disbursing Pell (34 CFR 690.83(b)(2) and Direct Loan (34 CFR 685.309) funds to a student. Condition: During our testing, we noted 3 instances tested had incorrect unsubsidized loan disbursement dates reported to the Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) system. Questioned Costs: None Context: 3 instances of disbursements tested had incorrect unsubsidized disbursement dates reported to COD. Cause: The Institute does not have a process in place to accurate report Unsubsidized Loan disbursements to COD. Effect: Students interest accrues based on disbursement date reported to COD, thus interest calculation could be skewed due to the discrepancy in disbursement dates reported. Repeat Finding: No Recommendation: We recommend the Institute evaluate its procedures and policies around reporting Unsubsidized Loan disbursements to COD to ensure that student information is reported accurately. Views of Responsible Officials: There is no disagreement with the audit finding.

Corrective Action Plan

Student Financial Assistance – Assistance Listing No. Various Recommendation: We recommend the College evaluate its procedures and policies around reporting Unsubsidized Loan disbursements to COD to ensure that student information is reported accurately. Explanation of disagreement with audit finding: There is no disagreement with the audit finding. Action taken in response to finding: Financial Aid Department will no longer disburse loans or report disbursements to the Department of Education multiple times weekly. Effective December 2025, Erikson Institute Financial Aid department only makes disbursements and reports them to the Department of Education on Fridays of each week. This is to ensure that the disbursement date in both Erikson’s student information system, Jenzabar, and COD match. Names of the contact persons responsible for corrective action: Monique Foster, Director of Financial Aid Planned completion date for corrective action plan: 12/2025

Categories

Student Financial Aid Reporting Significant Deficiency Matching / Level of Effort / Earmarking Internal Control / Segregation of Duties

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1182092 2025-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1182093 2025-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1182095 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1182096 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1182097 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
84.268 FEDERAL DIRECT STUDENT LOANS $3.09M
93.575 CHILD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT $379,654
84.305 EDUCATION RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND DISSEMINATION $220,780
47.076 STEM EDUCATION (FORMERLY EDUCATION AND HUMAN RESOURCES) $104,001
45.313 LAURA BUSH 21ST CENTURY LIBRARIAN PROGRAM $60,021
84.033 FEDERAL WORK-STUDY PROGRAM $55,485
84.325 SPECIAL EDUCATION - PERSONNEL DEVELOPMENT TO IMPROVE SERVICES AND RESULTS FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES $23,282
93.600 HEAD START $21,711
84.379 TEACHER EDUCATION ASSISTANCE FOR COLLEGE AND HIGHER EDUCATION GRANTS (TEACH GRANTS) $3,772