Finding Text
2024-001 Assistance Listing Number(s), Federal Agency and Program Name: 84.063, 84.007, 84.033, and 84.268; United States Department of Education (DOE), Student financial assistance cluster. Finding Type: Noncompliance and material weakness in internal control over compliance relating to special tests. Criteria: The Institute is responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining internal control over compliance for special tests and provisions and for accurately and timely reporting significant data elements under the Campus-Level and Program-Level records within the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) that DOE considers high risk. Statement of Condition: Management implemented controls that specifically addressed some of the circumstances surrounding prior year finding 2023-001. Management's review of the enrollment reporting did not detect errors on certain student Program-Level data elements or timely reporting. Certain student records within the NSLDS were identified with inaccurate Program-Level data elements and not timely reported. Questioned Costs: There were no questioned costs. Context: 9 students were identified with inaccurate Program-Level data elements and not timely reported out of a total of 27 student statuses tested. The Campus-Level data elements were accurately and timely reported. Cause: The Institute’s internal control over compliance did not detect and correct the errors. The preparer incorrectly reported graduate file impacting the student's effective dates and statuses during submission process to NSLDS resulting in inaccuracies in significant Program-Level enrollment data elements that ED considers high risk. The Institute’s internal control over compliance did not detect and correct the error. Effect: The Institute incorrectly reported certain Program-Level records in NSLDS which is information that DOE considers high risk and the Institute’s internal controls over compliance did not detect and correct the errors. Recommendation: We recommend management review policies and procedures surrounding enrollment reporting submissions to ensure the accuracy of Program-Level data elements reported to DOE. A review performed by an appropriate individual separate from the preparer prior to the submission of the enrollment reports to NSLDS may improve the accuracy of enrollment reporting. Management’s Response: Management agrees with the finding. Through internal investigation, it was determined that the date field issues found in 2023 also impacted “special” files, which include graduate data files and are processed differently in-house. This error has been fixed so that both fields will always be the same and accurate using the same corrective method as the 2023-001 finding. The registrar will now confirm both the student-level and program-level data fields upon submission to NSC.