Finding Text
Student Financial Assistance Cluster
U.S. Department of Education
Federal Student Direct Loans CFDA 84.268
Federal Pell Grant Program 84.063
Award Year 2023
Criteria or Specific Requirement – Special Tests and Provisions: Enrollment Reporting Pell, 34 CFR 690.83(b)(2); Direct Loan, 34 CFR 685.309. Federal regulations require the institution to notify the Department of Education of changes in s tudent enrollment information at the Campus Level and Program Level in a timely and accurate manner. These changes include reductions or increases in attendance levels, withdrawals, graduations, drop outs, or enrolled but never attended during the audit period. Institutions are responsible for timely reporting, whether they report directly or via a third-party service. Additionally, institutions are required to accurately report the student’s Campus-Level and Program-Level enrollment data.
Condition – The University did not ensure accurate and timely notification to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) of student status changes and program-level enrollment data.
Questioned Costs – None.
Context – Out of a population of 588 student enrollment status changes requiring notification, a sample of 25 students were selected for testing. Out of these 25 students, there were 15 selected where the campus and program-level record information was not in agreement between the NSLDS and the campus level information. Out of these 25 students selected for testing, there were seven instances in which the student's status change was reported after the 60 day requirement. The sample was not, and was not intended to be, a statistically valid sample.
Effect – The NSLDS was not notified of the student enrollment status or program-level records on a timely and accurate basis.
Cause – Management oversight during a status update report submission.
Identification as a Repeat Finding – N/A
Recommendation – The University should review and update its processes and controls to ensure student status changes for program-level records are reported to the NSLDS in a timely and accurate manner. Additionally, we recommend that a formal reconciliation process is completed to validate the procedure is
completed on a regular basis.
Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions – The software cause of the re-reporting of graduate students as enrolled has not been determined. All mid-term graduates prior to March 2023 worked correctly and those that graduated from July 2023 onward all worked correctly. Reports have been created to mid-term graduates and students beginning another program immediately after degree completion.