Finding 36113 (2022-001)

-
Requirement
A
Questioned Costs
$1
Year
2022
Accepted
2022-11-10
Audit: 31075
Auditor: Sikich LLP

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: A student was overpaid $357.50 for hours not worked due to inadequate review of timesheets.
  • Impacted Requirements: The College failed to comply with federal regulations requiring proper certification and verification of work hours.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Enhance controls and procedures for reviewing timesheets to prevent future overpayments.

Finding Text

2022-001 Federal Work Study - Student Financial Aid Cluster Assistance Listing Number 84.007, 84.033, 84.063, 84.268, Grant Period - Year Ended June 30, 2022 Criteria: The Code of Federal Regulations (34 CFR 675.19 (b)(2)) requires the institution to establish and maintain program and fiscal records that include a certification by the student?s supervisor, an official of the institution or off-campus agency, that each student has worked and earned the amount being paid. The certification must include or be supported by, for students paid on an hourly basis, a time record showing the hours each student worked in clock time sequence, or the total hours worked per day and include a payroll voucher containing sufficient information to support all payroll disbursements. Condition: During our Federal Work Study testing, we selected eleven students and noted that one student was paid for hours they did not work and was overpaid $357.50. The College did not review federal work study hours worked against class hours scheduled and timesheets to ensure the student was not working during a scheduled class and that they were paid for the correct number of hours. We consider this condition to be a instance of non-compliance to the Activities Allowed or Unallowed compliance requirement. Statistical sampling was not used in making sample selections. Questioned Costs: $357.50 Effect: The result is that the College did not review timesheets properly and a student received compensation for hours not worked in the amount of $357.50. Cause: The condition was an administrative oversight. Recommendation: We recommend the College increase controls over review of timesheets. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with the Single Audit finding and a response is included in the Corrective Action Plan.

Corrective Action Plan

2022-001 Federal Work Study - Student Financial Aid Cluster Assistance Listing Number 84.007, 84.033, 84.063, 84.268, Grant Period - Year Ended June 30, 2022 Condition Found During our Federal Work Study testing, we selected eleven students and noted that one student was paid for hours they did not work. The College did not review federal work-study hours worked against class hours scheduled and timesheets to ensure the student was not working during a scheduled class and that they were paid for the correct number of hours. We consider this condition to be an instance of non-compliance to the Activities Allowed or Unallowed compliance requirement. Corrective Action Plan In addition to direct counseling with the supervisor and student workers partied to this practice, the Financial Aid and Human Resources offices implemented several steps to stress the supervisor?s responsibility for timesheet validation. The changes went into effect on August 5, 2022. The steps included: 1. Reviewed the Student Worker Employee Handbook and Student Worker Supervisor Handbooks to confirm that language exists addressing that students should not work during scheduled class time, and supervisors are responsible for reviewing timesheets before approval submission. 2. All Supervisors are now required to review and sign off on the Supervisor Student Worker Handbook annually. Human Resources will audit for compliance quarterly. 3. At the start of each new academic year, Financial Aid and Human Resources will host a ?Hiring a Student Worker Information? session for all supervisors. This year the session took place on September 1, 2022. This session stress timesheet reviews, among many other responsibilities. Responsible Person for Corrective Action Plan Mary Greenwood, Director of Student Financial Aid Services, will be the person responsible for this Corrective Action Plan. Implementation Date of Corrective Action Plan As of August 5, 2022, all phases of the Corrective Action Plan were implemented.

Categories

Questioned Costs Student Financial Aid Internal Control / Segregation of Duties

Other Findings in this Audit

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
84.063 Federal Pell Grant Program $6.23M
84.425 Covid-19 Education Stabilization Fund $4.20M
84.268 Federal Direct Student Loans $1.92M
84.031 Strengthening A Culture of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to Increase Latinx Student Retention and Completion $878,449
84.002 Adult Education - Federal Basic $404,068
17.259 Wioa Youth Activities $331,683
84.042 Trio_student Support Services $296,566
84.048 Career and Technical Education - Basic Grants to States $291,183
84.047 Trio_upward Bound Program $280,832
84.007 Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants $168,840
84.031 Higher Education_institutional Aid - Title V $101,496
64.028 Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance $89,871
84.033 Federal Work-Study Program $84,389
84.002 Adult Education - El/civics $79,310
21.027 Covid-19 Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds $75,310
59.037 Small Business Development Center $62,936
59.037 Covid-19 Small Business Development Center $19,030
47.076 Aacc Mentor Links $7,867