Finding 1214394 (2025-002)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
N
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2025
Accepted
2026-05-11

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The College failed to report student enrollment status changes to NSLDS within the required 60-day timeframe for 5 out of 40 sampled students.
  • Impacted Requirements: Compliance with 34 CFR 685.309, which mandates timely reporting of enrollment status changes and accurate effective dates.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: The College should enhance internal controls and procedures to ensure timely reporting to NSLDS and align reported effective dates with the last date of attendance.

Finding Text

Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Program Name: Student Financial Assistance Cluster Assistance Listing Numbers: 84.063 and 84.268 Federal Award Identification Number and Year: P268K241902, P268K251902, P063P231902, P063P241902, grants were awarded within the 2023-24 and 2024-25 award years. Award Period: September 1, 2024, through August 31, 2025 Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance and Other Matters Criteria or Specific Requirement: The Code of Federal Regulations, 34 CFR 685.309 requires that enrollment status changes for students be reported to NSLDS within 30 days or within 60 days if the student with the status change will be reported on a scheduled transmission within 60 days of the change in status. Regulations require the status include an accurate effective date. In addition, regulations require that an institution make necessary corrections and return the records within 10 days for any roster files that don’t pass the NSLDS enrollment reporting edits. Condition and Context: During our testing of NSLDS Enrollment Reporting, we noted the student status changes that were received by NSLDS was outside of the 60-day timeframe for 5 of the 40 students sampled. Questioned Costs: N/A Cause: The College policies and procedures did not ensure that student status changes were timely reported to NSLDS. Effect: The NSLDS system is not updated with student information which can cause over-awarding should the student transfer to another institution and the student may not properly enter the repayment period. Repeat Finding: Yes – Finding 2024-001 Recommendation: The College should review their reporting internal controls and procedures to ensure that they require students' statuses to be reported timely to NSLDS as required by federal regulations. The College should evaluate their procedures and review policies surrounding reporting status changes to NSLDS to ensure the enrollment effective date reported to NSLDS aligns with the College’s last date of attendance. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with the finding and has developed a plan to correct the finding.

Corrective Action Plan

Student Financial Aid Cluster – Assistance Listing 84.063 and 84.268 Recommendation: The College should review their reporting internal controls and procedures to ensure that they require students' statuses to be reported timely to NSLDS as required by federal regulations. The College should evaluate their procedures and review policies surrounding reporting status changes to NSLDS to ensure the enrollment effective date reported to NSLDS aligns with the College’s last date of attendance. Explanation of disagreement with audit finding: There is no disagreement with the audit finding. Action taken in response to finding: Through the work of a college-wide task force the following actions will be taken in response to the finding. The task force will include representatives from Information Technology, Institutional Research, Financial Aid, Registrar, along with Ellucian consultants. To summarize the steps and details of implementation to the specific areas are as follows: 1. Review Reporting Controls and Procedures 2. Address Error Code 22 3. Review Procedures Surrounding Reporting Status Changes 4. Assure Accuracy in Reporting Enrollment Effective Date Name(s) of the contact person(s) responsible for corrective action: Patricia Munsch, Ph.D. Vice President for Student Affairs Nancy Brewer, College Director for Financial Aid Planned completion date for corrective action plan: December 31, 2026

Categories

Student Financial Aid Reporting Significant Deficiency Internal Control / Segregation of Duties

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1214393 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1214395 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1214396 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
84.063 FEDERAL PELL GRANT PROGRAM $31.46M
84.268 FEDERAL DIRECT STUDENT LOANS $6.79M
84.048 CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION -- BASIC GRANTS TO STATES $808,130
84.007 FEDERAL SUPPLEMENTAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY GRANTS $755,833
17.289 COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING/CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING $618,259
84.033 FEDERAL WORK-STUDY PROGRAM $401,254
84.042 TRIO STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES $378,936
47.076 STEM EDUCATION (FORMERLY EDUCATION AND HUMAN RESOURCES) $184,346
84.335 CHILD CARE ACCESS MEANS PARENTS IN SCHOOL $106,233
84.425 EDUCATION STABILIZATION FUND $64,827
47.050 GEOSCIENCES $31,975
93.859 BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH AND RESEARCH TRAINING $24,796