Finding 1205557 (2025-003)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
L
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2025
Accepted
2026-03-31
Audit: 397245
Organization: The Shaw University, Inc. (NC)
Auditor: BDO USA PC

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The University inaccurately reported key line items on the 2024-2025 FISAP due to insufficient internal controls and oversight.
  • Impacted Requirements: Compliance with FISAP submission deadlines and accuracy as mandated by 34 CFR 668.24(e)(1)(i) was not met, leading to a repeat finding.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Enhance internal controls and procedures to ensure accurate FISAP completion and maintain supporting documentation for reported amounts.

Finding Text

Federal Program Information: Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (ALN: 84.007), Federal Work-Study Program (ALN: 84.033), 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): L. Reporting - Fiscal Operations Report and Application to Participate (“FISAP”) - An institution is required to submit the FISAP annually by October 1, following the end of the award year, and to accurately complete all required key line items containing critical information (34 CFR 668.24(e)(1)(i)). The deadline for submitting data corrections was December 15, 2025. Condition: Key line items as identified in the compliance supplement were not accurately reported on the 2024-2025 FISAP. Cause: Insufficient internal controls and lack of sufficient administrative oversight resulted in data errors reported in the FISAP. Effect or Potential Effect¬: The University is not in compliance with special reporting requirements. Questioned Costs: None. Context: The University submitted the annual FISAP for the 2024-2025 reporting year by the required deadline; however, errors included in the submission were not corrected by the required deadline. As of the date of our Single Audit report, these errors remain uncorrected. Identification of Repeat Finding: This is a repeat finding from prior year. This was reported as Finding 2024-006 in the prior year schedule of findings and questioned costs. Recommendation¬¬: We recommend the University enhance its internal controls, policies, and procedures to ensure that the FISAP is completed accurately prior to submission and that adequate supporting schedules are retained to substantiate the reported amounts. Views of Responsible Officials: The University concurs with the findings. Shaw University acknowledges the findings regarding variances between institutional records and the amounts reported on the FISAP, as well as the delay in submitting corrections by the required deadline. The variances were due to insufficient reconciliation between the University’s records and the FISAP prior to submission. In addition, controls were not adequate to ensure that identified discrepancies were corrected within the required timeframe. The University has since completed a full reconciliation of the FISAP, and further corrections will be made. To prevent recurrence, the University has implemented procedures requiring a formal reconciliation of supporting records to the FISAP prior to submission, along with enhanced review and approval controls to ensure accuracy and timely reporting. Management will continue to monitor this process to ensure ongoing compliance.

Corrective Action Plan

Name of Responsible Individual: Vice President of Enrollment Management (Dr. Stacey Sowell), Director of Financial Aid (Dr. Ojebe Ifegwu) Corrective Action: The University concurs with the findings. Shaw University acknowledges the findings regarding variances between institutional records and the amounts reported on the FISAP, as well as the delay in submitting corrections by the required deadline. The variances were due to insufficient reconciliation between the University’s records and the FISAP prior to submission. In addition, controls were not adequate to ensure that identified discrepancies were corrected within the required timeframe. The University has since completed a full reconciliation of the FISAP, and further corrections will be made. To prevent recurrence, the University has implemented procedures requiring a formal reconciliation of supporting records to the FISAP prior to submission, along with enhanced review and approval controls to ensure accuracy and timely reporting. Management will continue to monitor this process to ensure ongoing compliance. Anticipated Completion Date: April 30, 2026

Categories

Student Financial Aid Internal Control / Segregation of Duties Reporting

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1205547 2025-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1205548 2025-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1205549 2025-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1205550 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1205551 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1205552 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1205553 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1205554 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1205555 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1205556 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1205558 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1205559 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1205560 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1205561 2025-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1205562 2025-005
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
84.268 FEDERAL DIRECT STUDENT LOANS $6.20M
84.063 FEDERAL PELL GRANT PROGRAM $3.92M
84.031 HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONAL AID $3.07M
11.028 CONNECTING MINORITY COMMUNITIES PILOT PROGRAM $1.75M
84.007 FEDERAL SUPPLEMENTAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY GRANTS $999,197
12.630 Acquisition of Automated Instrumentation to Enhance Multidisiplinary Resarch, Education and Training Capabilities at Shaw University $589,479
84.033 FEDERAL WORK-STUDY PROGRAM $270,155
84.120 Biotech CONNECT: Academic - Business Partnerships to Diversify North Carolina's Workforce $119,419
16.525 GRANTS TO REDUCE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND STALKING ON CAMPUS $89,652
93.172 HUMAN GENOME RESEARCH $74,929
11.802 MBDA SPECIALTY CENTER PROGRAM $56,180
47.076 STEM EDUCATION (FORMERLY EDUCATION AND HUMAN RESOURCES) $48,861
15.904 HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND GRANTS-IN-AID $48,469
15.932 PRESERVATION OF HISTORIC STRUCTURES ON THE CAMPUSES OF HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (HBCUS). $41,131
93.575 CHILD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT $21,815
45.301 MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA $11,001
45.309 MUSEUM GRANTS FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE $7,945