Finding 391542 (2023-001)

Criteria or Specific Requirement: In accordance with 34 CFR 685.309(b) and the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) Enrollment Reporting Guide published by the Department of Education, schools must review, update, and verify student enrollment statuses, program information, and effective dates that appear on the Enrollment Reporting Roster file or on the Enrollment Maintenance page of the NSLDS Professional Access (NSLDSFAP) website. In addition, schools must report enrollment status changes within 30 days of becoming aware of the status change or in its next scheduled enrollment submission if the scheduled submission is within 60 days. Condition/Context: During our testing of 20 students, which is a statistically valid sample, we noted 7 instances where the student's enrollment status was not certified at least every 60 days, 6 instances where the published program length was improperly reported to the NSLDS system, 8 instances of late reporting of student status changes, 1 instances where the effective date of a student status change was improperly reported at the campus-level record, 3 instances where the effective date of a student status change was improperly reported at the program-level record, 11 instances of improper student status reporting at the campus-level record, 10 instances of improper student status reporting at the program-level record, and 6 instances where the program begin date was not properly reported to the NSLDS system. Questioned Costs: None. Cause: The University's internal controls did not identify the errors for compliance with the criteria mentioned above. Effect: Inaccurate information is reflected on the NSLDS database. A student’s enrollment data protects the rights of borrowers by ensuring that loan interest subsidies are based on accurate enrollment data, ensures loan repayment dates are accurately based on the last data of attendance, allows in-school deferments to be automatically granted using NSLDS enrollment data, and provides vast amounts of critical data about the effectiveness of Title IV aid programs, including completion data. Repeat Finding: Yes, see finding 2022-001. Recommendation: We recommend the University review its reporting procedures to ensure that enrollment and program information is accurately reported to NSLDS as required by regulations. Views of Responsible Officials: Please refer to the attached corrective action plan.