Finding Text
2022-001 Agency: U.S. Department of Education Assistance Listing Numbers: 84.007, 84.033, 84.038, 84.063, 84.268, and 84.379 Program: Student Financial Assistance Programs Cluster Condition: Management?s review of the federal aid refunds did not detect errors on certain refunds on Title IV grants. We identified the federal aid refunds for three (3) students were not calculated in a timely manner resulting in no amounts being refunded. Criteria: When a recipient of Title IV grant or loan assistance withdraws from an institution during a payment period, Title IV regulations (34 CFR 668.22) require the College to determine the amount of Title IV grant or loan assistance that the student earned as of the withdrawal date and return the unearned portion of the grant or loan to the Title IV program as soon as possible, but no later than 45 days after the withdrawal date. Questioned Costs: The amount of known questioned costs was $18,292. The projected questioned costs is $73,500. Context: The College?s internal control over compliance did not detect that grant funds needed to be returned to Title IV. Of the 46 students who withdrew from the College and received Title IV grants, 18 students were tested and three (3) of the students tested received a refund that was required to be returned to the Title IV program. Cause: The College?s internal control over compliance did not detect the errors. Management has indicated the Return to Title IV (R2T4) calculation was not calculated correctly as the dates entered into the software were backdated due to the student officially withdrawing at a later date from last attendance. Effect: The College did not properly process the R2T4, therefore did not return the funds in a timely manner and the College?s internal controls over compliance did not detect and correct the errors. Recommendation: We recommend management review their processes and controls in place to ensure appropriate refunds are made relating to Title IV grant funding in a timely manner. Management's Response: The College's Financial Aid department has adjusted how students are identified for a R2T4 calculation. Previously, we would work with a date range weekly. However, if there were status changes made that required changes to dates prior to the weekly reporting range, it would fall outside of our date range. Our new process is to use the first day of the semester as the start of our date range, as this will ensure that we catch all students that need a R2T4 calculation regardless of academic backdating.