Finding Text
Finding 2025-002 - U.S. Department of Education (USD), Title IV Student Financial Aid Programs (significant deficiency): Information on the federal program – Federal Pell Grant Program, FAL No. 84.063, June 30, 2025; Federal Work-Study Program, FAL No. 84.033, June 30, 2025; Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grant Program, FAL No. 84.007, June 30, 2025; Federal Direct Student Loan Program, FAL No. 84.268, June 30, 2025; Teachers Education Assistance for College (TEACH),FAL No. 84.379, June 30, 2025. Criteria – Under 2 CFR 200.305 and the U.S. Department of Education’s cash management requirements at 34 CFR 668.162, institutions must draw down Title IV funds only for expenditures that have already been incurred and must maintain supporting documentation on file at the time of each drawdown request to demonstrate: 1. The existence of actual, allowable expenditures equal to or exceeding the amount drawn; and 2. That such expenditures were incurred before requesting Federal funds. These regulations require contemporaneous records to support that drawdowns reflect immediate cash needs for allowable program costs. Condition – During our testing of cash drawdowns, we noted In four (4) of the eight (8) drawdowns tested, the College did not maintain adequate supporting documentation to substantiate that allowable expenditures had been incurred at the time of the drawdowns. Additionally, although drawdowns exceeded recorded expenditures at certain points during the year, the College did not have Federal cash on hand at year-end. Cause – The condition resulted from insufficient internal controls over the drawdown and documentation retention processes, including the absence of a timely reconciliation between recorded expenditures and drawdown requests. Effect – Requesting Federal funds without maintaining adequate documentation of actual expenditures increases the risk of noncompliance with Federal cash management requirements and may result in temporary use of Federal funds for unallowable purposes. As a result, questioned costs totaling $58,270 were identified. Questioned Costs – $58,270 Program Title FAL No. Questioned Costs Federal Work Study Program 84.033 $ 8,882 Federal Direct Loans 84.268 49,388 Total Questioned Costs $ 58,270 Auditor’s Perspective – While the College did not have Federal cash on hand at year-end, the lack of documentation and proper reconciliation at the time of drawdown represents a compliance deviation under Uniform Guidance. These conditions increase the risk that future drawdowns may not align with actual cash needs or allowable expenditures. Repeat Finding – No. Auditor's Recommendation – We recommend the College strengthen controls over the cash drawdown process by: • Ensuring that reimbursement requests are supported by complete and readily available documentation at the time of submission; and • Requiring contemporaneous reconciliations between expenditures and drawdown requests; • Implementing improved supervisory review procedures prior to requesting funds. View of Responsible Officials – The College now requires all drawdowns to include supporting documentation of the funds requested from G5, along with sign-offs on preparation and approval. Supporting documents are stored securely on the College's accounting drive for easy access. This procedure took effect as of July 31, 2025.