Finding Text
Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Program Title: Federal Pell Grant Program (PELL) ALN Numbers: 84.063 Award Period: July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025 Type of Finding: • Significant Deficiency in Internal Control Over Compliance Criteria or Specific Requirement: Per 34 CFR 690.62, institutions must ensure that the amount of Pell Grant funds disbursed does not exceed the student’s calculated eligibility based on the Student Aid Index (SAI), cost of attendance, and enrollment status. Condition: One instance was identified in which the University calculated Pell eligibility of $7,395 for the award year when only $6,471 should have been disbursed. Questioned Costs: $924 in PELL assistance was overawarded to the student. Context: CLA tested a random sample of 40 students from a population of 669 student financial aid recipients. Cause: The University’s system cannot identify status changes within/after the add/drop period (i.e., full-time to less-than-half-time) Effect: One student was disbursed more Pell assistance than they were eligible to receive. Repeat Finding from Prior Years: Yes – 2024‐002. Recommendation: We recommend that management return the overawarded amount of $924 to the U.S. Department of Education and strengthen internal controls over Pell Grant calculations and disbursements to prevent future overawards. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with the finding.