Finding 585326 (2023-001)

Significant Deficiency
Requirement
N
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2023
Accepted
2024-01-18

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The College's procedures failed to ensure timely reporting of student enrollment changes, violating federal requirements.
  • Impacted Requirements: Compliance with 34 CFR 690.83 and 34 CFR 685.309 mandates reporting within 60 days, which was not met for some students.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Implement stricter procedures for enrollment reporting and regularly review updates to ensure compliance with federal guidelines.

Finding Text

Criteria: The College is required to timely and accurately update changes in student enrollment information for periods during which the College was required and comply with enrollment reporting requirements in accordance with 34 CFR 690.83 and 34 CFR 685.309. Enrollment information must be reported within 60 days. Institutions are responsible for timely reporting, whether they report directly or via a third party servicer. Condition: The College has procedures in place to correctly report changes in student enrollment status within the required timeframe, but those procedures did not detect that enrollment status information was not provided within the required timeframe for all students. Context: A sample of 40 students revealed that enrollment status was not reported within the required timeframe for one student and one additional student did not have a record in Department of Education’s system. A non-statistical sampling methodology was used to select the sample. Effect: The Department of Education may be making decisions on incorrect or outdated information. Cause:  The College did not have specific procedures in place to properly report or review reports provided by a third-party servicer to the Department of Education. Questioned Costs: At most, questioned costs would be interest accrued on the outstanding amounts of direct student loans which are insignificant, therefore there are no questioned costs. Recommendation: We recommend the College implement procedures to strictly comply with the requirements of 34 CFR 690.83 and 34 CFR 685.309 as it relates to reporting enrollment information to the Department of Education. We further recommend the College follow the guidance provided in the NSLLDS Enrollment Reporting Guide and stay abreast of new guidance as published by the Department of Education. Response: The College will be taking extra measures to periodically review enrollment batches that are sent to the Clearinghouse, ensuring that they are being updated into NSLDS alongside any error reports that may be coming back from the Clearinghouse.  This will help prevent any unknown or missed student enrollment report from the Clearinghouse to NSLDS

Categories

Student Financial Aid Reporting Matching / Level of Effort / Earmarking

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 8883 2023-001
    Significant Deficiency
  • 8884 2023-001
    Significant Deficiency
  • 8885 2023-001
    Significant Deficiency
  • 8886 2023-001
    Significant Deficiency
  • 585325 2023-001
    Significant Deficiency
  • 585327 2023-001
    Significant Deficiency
  • 585328 2023-001
    Significant Deficiency

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
84.063 Federal Pell Grant Program $6.66M
84.268 Federal Direct Student Loans $2.23M
84.042 Trio_student Support Services $1.13M
84.047 Trio_upward Bound $889,396
84.048 Career and Technical Education -- Basic Grants to States $691,884
84.044 Trio_talent Search $530,472
84.149 Migrant Education_college Assistance Migrant Program $408,604
84.031 Higher Education_institutional Aid $361,206
84.066 Trio_educational Opportunity Centers $264,851
84.141 Migrant Education_high School Equivalency Program $206,791
84.033 Federal Work-Study Program $138,716
84.002 Adult Education - Basic Grants to States $136,742
84.007 Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants $125,000
47.076 Stem Education $100,548
10.559 Summer Food Service Program for Children $34,173
17.268 H-1b Job Training Grants $13,053
93.566 Refugee and Entrant Assistance_state Administered Programs $10,310
17.285 Registered Apprenticeship $9,500
84.425 Education Stabilization Fund $4,540