Finding Text
Finding 2025-007 - U.S. Department of Education (ED), Title IV Student Financial Aid Programs - Unreconciled Expenditures Reported on the FISAP (Material Weakness): Information on the federal program – Federal Direct Student Loans, ALN 84.268, June 30, 2025; Federal Pell Grant Program, ALN 84.063, June 30, 2025; Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, ALN 84.007, June 30, 2025; Federal Work-Study Program, ALN 84.033, June 30, 2025. Criteria – Per 34 CFR § 668.24 (a), institutions must maintain records necessary to demonstrate compliance with the requirements of Title IV programs, including records that support the accuracy of disbursements and fiscal transactions. Per the Federal Student Aid Handbook, Volume 4 – Processing Aid and Managing Funds, institutions are required to reconcile internal disbursement and expenditure records with the Business Office, general ledger, and the Department of Education’s systems on a monthly basis for all Title IV programs prior to completing year-end federal reporting including the FISAP. Condition – The Office of Financial Aid submitted unreconciled expenditure amounts in the institution’s Fiscal Operations Report and Application to Participate (FISAP). At the time of audit, the reported FISAP totals did not reconcile to the applicable federal systems (COD) or to the Student Financial Aid (SFA) reconciliation report. No documentation was provided to demonstrate that final reconciliations were completed prior to submission of the FISAP. Cause – The lack of reconciliation appears to have resulted from insufficient coordination and reconciliation timeliness between the Office of Financial Aid and the Business Office Effect – Failure to reconcile may impact the institution’s administrative capability under 34 CFR § 668.16, exposing the University to regulatory review, questioned costs, and potential repayment liability. The accuracy and reliability of the FISAP submission cannot be assured. Questioned Costs – $0 Repeat Finding - Yes Auditor’s Perspective – The FISAP serves as a primary financial reporting tool used by the Department of Education to determine campus-based program funding and institutional compliance. Submitting unreconciled figures undermines the integrity of federal reporting and represents a systemic breakdown in financial oversight rather than an isolated reporting error. Auditor’s Perspective – (continued) The Office of Financial Aid submitted unreconciled expenditures within the Fiscal Operations Report and Application to Participate (FISAP) for the programs below: a. Federal Pell Grant Program b. Federal Work Study (FWS) Program c. Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) Auditor’s Recommendation – The University should implement monthly reconciliations, strengthen cross-department coordination, perform year-end reconciliation prior to FISAP submission. Implementation of these measures will strengthen financial accountability, improve federal reporting accuracy, and reduce the likelihood of future findings. View of Responsible Officials – Management agrees with the finding. See the accompanying Corrective Action Plan for the University's planned corrective actions, responsible officials, and implementation dates.