Finding 609212 (2022-001)

- Repeat Finding
Requirement
L
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2022
Accepted
2023-01-24
Audit: 32138
Organization: Oklahoma Wesleyan University (OK)

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: Incorrect enrollment status dates were reported for two students in the NSLDS, affecting loan servicer notifications.
  • Impacted Requirements: Accurate reporting of enrollment changes must occur within sixty days to ensure proper loan repayment and interest calculations.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: The Financial Aid Director should ensure updated procedures are in place for accurate NSLDS reporting and verify the changes made for the affected students.

Finding Text

FINDING 2022-001 ? NSLDS Reporting Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Education; Office of Federal Student Aid Pass through Entity: Not applicable Program Name: Federal Direct Student Loan Program ALN and Program Expenditures: 84.268 ($6,877,168) Award Number: P268K222030 Federal Award Year: July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022 Questioned Costs: $-0- Condition Found: The incorrect effective date of an enrollment status change was reported to the National Student Loan Database System (?NSLDS?) for two of the sixty students selected for testing. Criteria: NSLDS informs loan servicers of changes in a student?s enrollment status that indicate when the repayments or interest accrual begins and ends. The date a student enrolls, withdraws, graduates, or drops below half-time status should be reported accurately. This information must be reported within sixty days of the status change. Cause: For the first student, the end of the semester date was used as the withdrawal date instead of the date the student withdrew during the semester. For the second student, the start of the spring semester was used as the last date of attendance when the date should have been the last date of the fall semester. Possible Asserted Effect: The loan servicers were not aware of the correct deferral, repayment, and interest calculation dates. Repeat Finding: See Finding 2021-001 in the prior audit for a finding related to NSLDS reporting. While both findings contain NSLDS reporting errors, the causes of the errors are different. Statistical Sampling: The sample was not intended to be, and was not, a statistically valid sample. Recommendation: The Financial Aid Director should update the withdrawal date for the students in question in NSLDS. Procedures should be improved to ensure that the correct withdrawal date is reported in NSLDS. Management Response: The Financial Aid Director updated the withdrawal dates in NSLDS for the students in question on August 3, 2022. Procedures will be improved to ensure that the correct withdrawal date is reported in NSLDS.

Categories

Student Financial Aid Reporting Matching / Level of Effort / Earmarking

Other Findings in this Audit

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
84.268 Federal Direct Student Loans $6.88M
84.063 Federal Pell Grant Program $1.38M
84.038 Federal Perkins Loan Program $158,024
84.033 Federal Work-Study Program $142,637
84.007 Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants $104,009
84.425 Education Stabilization Fund $103,487
84.379 Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grants (teach Grants) $92,414