Finding 145 (2023-005)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
N
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2023
Accepted
2023-10-18
Audit: 218
Organization: Virginia Union University (VA)
Auditor: Brown Edwards

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The Institution failed to return funds for six out of eight students who withdrew, missing the 45-day deadline set by regulations.
  • Impacted Requirements: Regulations mandate timely refunds to the Department of Education for students who withdraw, which were not met due to a weak process and controls.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Enhance training and processes to ensure accurate and timely calculation and remittance of federal refunds for withdrawing students.

Finding Text

Criteria: Regulations require the Institution refunds calculated for students who withdrew during a semester be remitted to the Department of Education timely, within 45 days of withdrawal. Condition: Fourteen students were selected for withdrawal test work. Of those fourteen students, the Institution calculated an amount that needed to be returned for 8 of those students (four students tested didn’t have to return any funds, met the requirement to keep all aid received). Six of those eight students who required funds to be returned based upon their withdrawal terms and resulting return of funding calculations were not returned timely to the Department of Education. Cause: Weak process and controls over the return of funds for students who withdrew from the Institution. Effect: Funds were held in the University’s cash account longer than necessary and such funds were no longer technically the property of the University after the student withdrew from the University. Questioned costs: $-0- Perspective information: See table below: Identification of repeat findings: Yes, See FA-2022-005. Recommendation: The University should increase its efforts through training to ensure that federal refunds are calculated and remitted timely when students withdraw from the Institution. Views of responsible officials: See Client’s Corrective Action Plan.

Corrective Action Plan

Criteria: Regulations require the Institution refunds calculated for students who withdrew during a semester be remitted to the Department of Education timely, within 45 days of withdrawal. The University concurs with this finding and will adhere to the corrective action plan. Corrective Action: The audit for FY22 was not finalized until June 27, 2023. The plan date for correction for this finding was December 31, 2023. Therefore, the plan was not realized due to the timing of completion of the FY22 audit. Now that the FY23 audit is completed, the Registrar will put in polace the report that was created to identify students who completed the official withdrawal process. The Financial Aid Director will work with the Registrar to create an attendance report to identify students who unofficially withdraw. The report will be evaluated every week to meet the 14-day date of determination requirement. Responsbile Person(s): Doreen Dixon, Registrar ddixon@vuu.edu 804 257-5845. Robert Merino, Executive Director jrmerino@vuu.edu 281 795-6190. Planned Date of Completion of Corrective Action: December 31, 2023.

Categories

No categories assigned yet.

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 129 2023-001
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 130 2023-001
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 131 2023-001
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 132 2023-001
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 133 2023-002
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 134 2023-002
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 135 2023-002
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 136 2023-002
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 137 2023-003
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 138 2023-003
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 139 2023-003
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 140 2023-003
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 141 2023-004
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 142 2023-004
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 143 2023-004
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 144 2023-004
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 146 2023-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 147 2023-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 148 2023-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 149 2023-006
    Significant Deficiency
  • 150 2023-006
    Significant Deficiency
  • 151 2023-006
    Significant Deficiency
  • 152 2023-006
    Significant Deficiency
  • 153 2023-007
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 154 2023-007
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 155 2023-007
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 156 2023-008
    Material Weakness
  • 157 2023-008
    Material Weakness
  • 158 2023-008
    Material Weakness
  • 576571 2023-001
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 576572 2023-001
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 576573 2023-001
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 576574 2023-001
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 576575 2023-002
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 576576 2023-002
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 576577 2023-002
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 576578 2023-002
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 576579 2023-003
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 576580 2023-003
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 576581 2023-003
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 576582 2023-003
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 576583 2023-004
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 576584 2023-004
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 576585 2023-004
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 576586 2023-004
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 576587 2023-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 576588 2023-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 576589 2023-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 576590 2023-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 576591 2023-006
    Significant Deficiency
  • 576592 2023-006
    Significant Deficiency
  • 576593 2023-006
    Significant Deficiency
  • 576594 2023-006
    Significant Deficiency
  • 576595 2023-007
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 576596 2023-007
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 576597 2023-007
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 576598 2023-008
    Material Weakness
  • 576599 2023-008
    Material Weakness
  • 576600 2023-008
    Material Weakness

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
84.268 Federal Direct Student Loans $10.84M
84.063 Federal Pell Grant Program $3.88M
84.425 Education Stabilization Fund $2.21M
84.047 Trio_upward Bound $622,763
84.033 Federal Work-Study Program $589,503
84.031 Higher Education_institutional Aid $465,333
84.007 Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants $436,447
84.042 Trio_student Support Services $242,540
84.044 Trio_talent Search $241,259
47.076 Education and Human Resources $164,938
99.U01 National Institute of General Medical Sciences: Institutinal Research and Academic Career Development Awards $14,636
84.217 Trio_mcnair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement $6,054
45.162 Promotion of the Humanities_teaching and Learning Resources and Curriculum Development $5,866