Finding 512973 (2024-001)

2024-001 EXCESS DRAWDOWN OF FEDERAL FUNDS Federal agency: U.S. Department of Education Federal Program Title & Assistance Listing Number: Extending Equity into the Digital Workforce Projects of Regional and National Significance -84.411B Award Period: 12/15/2021 - 12/15/2025 Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency, Other Non-compliance Compliance Areas: Cash Management, Allowable Costs, and Cost Principles and Reporting Questioned Costs: None Condition During testing of expenditures and manual journal entries for the Extending Equity into the Digital Workforce (EEDW) grant, we identified a duplicate manual journal entry of $129,781. This entry reclassified August and September 2023 General Fund (Fund 27101) expenditures to the EEDW Fund (Fund 25271). While the costs themselves are necessary and reasonable under the grant's objectives, the duplicate entry resulted in the federal fund expenditures being overstated and reimbursed twice, leading to an overdraw of federal funds. The duplicate entry was reversed by the client upon discovery by the auditors. An audit adjustment was made to record the excess cash balance as unearned grant revenue. Additionally, the annual Federal Financial Report for the period ending December 31, 2023, included these expenditures, causing the reported federal disbursements to be overstated by $129,781. Criteria Cash Management: Although 2 CFR 200.305(b)(1) permits the Cooperative to draw funds in advance, the entity utilizes a cost reimbursement approach for Federal funding. This practice ensures that funds are drawn only for immediate cash needs. 2 CFR 200.305(b)(1) Federal payment. Advance payments to a non-Federal entity must be limited to the minimum amounts needed and be timed to be in accordance with the actual, immediate cash requirements of the non-Federal entity in carrying out the purpose of the approved program or project. The timing and amount of advance payments must be as close as is administratively feasible to the actual disbursements by the non-Federal entity for direct program or project costs and the proportionate share of any allowable indirect costs. Cost Principles and Reporting: The application of cost principles is governed by 2 CFR 200.400; specifically (b) the non-Federal entity assumes responsibility for administering Federal funds in a manner consistent with underlying agreements, program objectives, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. Effect The error resulted in an overstatement of federal revenues and expenditures, leading to excess unearned cash in the fund at year-end and inaccuracies in the financial reports (SF-425) submitted to the federal funding agency. The Cooperative is not in compliance with federal regulations for Cash Management and Cost Principles and Reporting. Cause The allowable expenditures intended to be reclassified from the general fund to the federal fund were processed twice, resulting in a duplicate recording. This error was not detected during regular reconciliations or the financial close and reporting process.