Finding 514648 (2024-001)

Significant Deficiency
Requirement
N
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2024
Accepted
2024-12-17

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The College failed to return Title IV Financial Aid for five students within the required 45 days after withdrawal.
  • Impacted Requirements: This violates 34 CFR 668.22 regarding timely calculations and returns of Title IV funds.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Assign specific responsibilities to ensure accurate and timely calculations and returns of Title IV funds.

Finding Text

2024-001: Late Return of Title IV Financial Aid - Student Financial Aid Cluster – Assistance Listing #s 84.007, 84.033, 84.063, 84.268 - Grant Period - Year Ended June 30, 2024 Criteria: According to 34 CFR 668.22 when a recipient of Title IV grant or loan assistance withdraws from a College during a payment period or period of enrollment in which the recipient began attendance, the College must determine the amount of Title IV grant or loan assistance that the student earned as of the student's withdrawal date. Condition: During our Return of Title IV Fund testing, we noted that the College did not return Title IV Student Financial Aid for five out of twenty-five students tested until after 45 days when the student ceased attendance. We consider the untimely calculation and Return of Title IV Student Financial Aid to be a Significant Deficiency relating to the Special Tests and Provisions Compliance Requirement. Statistical sampling was not used when making sample selections. Questioned Costs: $0 Effect: The College did not calculate or return unearned Title IV Financial Aid to the U.S. Department of Education within 45 days of when the student was determined to cease their attendance at the College. Cause: The College’s internal controls did not identify the fact that a corrected return of Title IV amount occurred for five students within the required 45 days. Recommendation: We recommend the College assign specific responsibilities to review students return of Title IV calculation to verify the correct amount is calculated and returned in a timely manner. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with this finding and response is included in Corrective Action Plan.

Corrective Action Plan

2024-001: Late Return of Title IV Financial Aid - Student Financial Aid Cluster – Assistance Listing #s 84.007, 84.033, 84.063, 84.268 - Grant Period - Year Ended June 30, 2024 Condition Found During our Return of Title IV Fund testing, we noted that the College did not return Title IV Student Financial Aid for five out of twenty-five students tested until after 45 days when the student ceased attendance. We consider the untimely calculation and Return of Title IV Student Financial Aid to be a Significant Deficiency relating to the Special Tests and Provisions Compliance Requirement. Corrective Action Plan To rectify this issue, we have taken the following corrective actions: Enhanced Monitoring and Reporting: Run our internal tracking report once a week to monitor and ensure timely Return of Title IV (R2T4) calculations. This system will alert financial aid staff when a student withdraws, prompting immediate action to review and process the return within the required 45-day timeframe. Staff Training and Certification: Conducted a comprehensive training session for all financial aid staff to reinforce the importance of timely R2T4 calculations. Training covered procedures for identifying students who have ceased attendance, the calculation process, and deadlines for completing returns. Regular refresher training sessions will be scheduled each term to ensure staff remain informed and compliant with federal guidelines. Audit and Quality Control Checks: Institute periodic quality control checks by the Financial Aid Reconciliation and Compliance Specialist to verify the accuracy and timeliness of R2T4 calculations. Responsible Person for Corrective Action Plan Isamar Taylor - Director of Financial Aid and Jill Wohrley - Financial Aid Reconciliation and Compliance Specialist Implementation Date of Corrective Action Plan 10/16/2024

Categories

Special Tests & Provisions Student Financial Aid Reporting Significant Deficiency Matching / Level of Effort / Earmarking Internal Control / Segregation of Duties

Other Findings in this Audit

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
84.063 Federal Pell Grant Program $3.29M
10.855 Distance Learning and Telemedicine Loans and Grants $444,277
11.307 Economic Adjustment Assistance $436,421
93.575 Child Care and Development Block Grant $377,170
84.007 Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants $363,137
84.042 Trio_student Support Services $324,708
84.048 Career and Technical Education -- Basic Grants to States $233,510
84.002 Adult Education - Basic Grants to States $198,612
84.033 Federal Work-Study Program $110,875
84.268 Federal Direct Student Loans $67,066
17.261 Workforce Data Quality (wdqi) $22,988