Finding Text
Finding 2023-002 - Student Status Changes
Federal Program: Student Financial Assistance Cluster
Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Education
Pass-Through Entity: Not applicable
ALN Number: 84.007, 84.063, 84.268
Federal Award Number: P007A223647, PP063P222121, PK268K232121
Federal Award Year: June 30, 2023
Criteria: Title IV regulations (34 CFR 685.309(b)) require that upon receipt of an enrollment report from the Secretary, institutions must update all information included in the report and return the report to the Secretary: (i) in the manner and format prescribed by the Secretary; and (ii) within the timeframe prescribed by the Secretary. Unless it expects to submit its next updated enrollment report to the Secretary within the next 60 days, an institution must notify the Secretary within 30 days after the date the institution discovers that: (i) a loan under Title IV of the Act was made to or on behalf of a student who was enrolled or accepted for enrollment at the institution, and the student has ceased to be enrolled on at least a half-time basis or failed to enroll on at least a half-time basis for the period for which the loan was intended; or (ii) a student who is enrolled at the institution and who received a loan under Title IV of the Act has changed his or her permanent address.
Condition/Context: The change in student status for two (2) of eleven (11) students tested was not reported to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) within 30 days or included in a response to a roster file within 60 days. However, the students were ultimately reported to the NSLDS. The sample was not a statistically valid sample.
Questioned Costs: None.
Cause: The College’s procedures for reporting student status changes were not designed appropriately to allow for timely reporting to the NSLDS.
Effect: The accuracy of Title IV student loan records depends heavily on the accuracy of the enrollment information reported by the College. If an institution does not review, update, and verify student enrollment statuses, effective dates of the enrollment status, and the anticipated completion dates, then the Title IV student loan records will be inaccurate.
Recommendation: The College should revise its procedures to ensure accurate enrollment information is sent to the NSLDS within the required timeframe.
Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: On a monthly basis, the Registrar will download the Registration Status report from the student information system and review the report for accuracy to ensure all enrollment changes are captured. Once the review is complete, the information will be uploaded to the National Student Clearinghouse.