Finding 57938 (2022-003)

Material Weakness
Requirement
N
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2022
Accepted
2023-04-04

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The University failed to accurately report the enrollment status of 14 out of 25 students to the guarantee agency, violating federal regulations.
  • Impacted Requirements: Compliance with Title IV Regulations, specifically 34 CFR Section 682.610, which mandates timely reporting of student enrollment status changes.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: The University should verify and correct student enrollment statuses and enhance reporting processes to prevent future errors, including additional training with the reporting system.

Finding Text

Audit Finding Reference Number 2022-003 ? Student Status Confirmation Report Federal Program and Specific Federal Award Identification CFDA Title and Number 84.268 Federal Direct Student Loan (Direct) Federal Award Year June 30, 2022 Federal Agencies U. S. Department of Education Pass-Through Entity Not applicable Criteria Title IV Regulations, 34 CFR Section 682.610 (c) (i) (ii) (iii) stipulated that if a university discovers that a loan has been made to or on behalf of a student who enrolled at that school, but who has ceased to be enrolled on at least a half-time basis; a student who has been accepted for enrollment at that school, but who failed to enroll on at least a half-time basis for the period for which the loan was intended, or a full-time student who has ceased to be enrolled on a full-time basis, the University must notify the guarantee agency. Conditions and Context I noted during my audit fourteen (14) students out of twenty-five (25) tested whose enrollment status was not reported or not reported correctly on the student status confirmation reports to the National Student Clearinghouse. Cause It appears that the University did not properly report the student?s enrollment status to the guarantee agency. Questioned Costs For purposes of the condition, I do not have any questioned costs. Effect Noncompliance with federal regulations. The University did not properly report the student?s status to the guarantee agency. Repeat Finding No. Recommendation I recommend that the University determine the student?s proper enrollment status and report the accurate status to the guarantee agency. Management Response It was brought to our attention that we are unable to update our third transmittal to NSC due an uploading error with Jenzabar. Once we were notified of this error, we began communicating with NSC to find an alternative route to submit the third transmittal. The third transmittal was submitted but we later learned that the file was rejected. Unfortunately during that time, the notification of the error message was inadvertently overlooked due to the challenges we were faced with during the recovery period of Hurricane Ida. To mitigate this from occurring in the future, we have discussed changing how and when our enrollment transmittal data will be reported. Furthermore, we had participated in training and scheduled additional training opportunities with Jenzabar to create an errorless transmittal process.

Corrective Action Plan

It was brought to our attention that we are unable to update our third transmittal to NSC due an uploading error with Jenzabar. Once we were notified of this error, we began communicating with NSC to find an alternative route to submit the third transmittal. The third transmittal was submitted but we later learned that the file was rejected. Unfortunately during that time, the notification of the error message was inadvertently overlooked due to the challenges we were faced with during the recovery period of Hurricane Ida. To mitigate this from occurring in the future, we have discussed changing how and when our enrollment transmittal data will be reported. Furthermore, we had participated in training and scheduled additional training opportunities with Jenzabar to create an errorless transmittal process.

Categories

Student Financial Aid Subrecipient Monitoring Matching / Level of Effort / Earmarking

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 57934 2022-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 57935 2022-002
    Material Weakness
  • 57936 2022-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 57937 2022-002
    Material Weakness
  • 634376 2022-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 634377 2022-002
    Material Weakness
  • 634378 2022-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 634379 2022-002
    Material Weakness
  • 634380 2022-003
    Material Weakness

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
84.268 Federal Direct Student Loans $9.78M
84.063 Federal Pell Grant Program $4.31M
84.425 Education Stabilization Fund $3.71M
84.031 Higher Education_institutional Aid $2.00M
97.036 Disaster Grants - Public Assistance (presidentially Declared Disasters) $686,841
84.007 Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants $329,911
84.044 Trio_talent Search $311,343
84.042 Trio_student Support Services $207,144
47.075 Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences $206,540
84.120 Minority Science and Engineering Improvement $198,132
12.800 Air Force Defense Research Sciences Program $186,271
47.050 Geosciences $127,547
93.859 Biomedical Research and Research Training $120,692
84.033 Federal Work-Study Program $112,659
93.368 21st Century Cures Act - Precision Medicine Initiative $94,754
93.364 Nursing Student Loans $42,000
47.076 Education and Human Resources $21,543
45.162 Promotion of the Humanities_teaching and Learning Resources and Curriculum Development $19,359
19.009 Academic Exchange Programs - Undergraduate Programs $11,833
43.008 Education $8,890
93.391 Activities to Support State, Tribal, Local and Territorial (stlt) Health Department Response to Public Health Or Healthcare Crises $5,839
93.421 Strengthening Public Health Systems and Services Through National Partnerships to Improve and Protect the Nations Health $2,768