Finding Text
Finding number: 2022 - 001 Federal agency: U.S. Department of Education Programs: Student Financial Assistance Cluster Assistance Listing Number: 84.063 and 84.268 Award year: 2022 Criteria According to 34 CFR 685.309(b)(2): Unless Fisher College expects to submit its next updated enrollment report to the Secretary within the next 60 days, a school must notify the Secretary within 30 days after the date the school discovers that ? (i) A loan under title IV of the Act was made to or on behalf of a student who was enrolled or accepted for enrollment at the school, and the student has ceased to be enrolled on at least a half-time basis or failed to enroll on at least a half-time basis for the period for which the loan was intended; or (ii) A student who is enrolled at the school and who received a loan under title IV of the Act has changed his or her permanent address. The Dear Colleague Letter GEN-12-6 issued by the U.S. Department of Education (?ED?) on March 30, 2012 states that in addition to student loan borrowers, Enrollment Reporting files will include two additional groups of students: Pell Grant and Perkins Loan recipients. According to 2 CFR Part 200, Appendix XI Compliance Supplement updated April 2022: Under the Pell Grant and loan programs, institutions must complete and return within 15 days the Enrollment Reporting roster file placed in their Student Aid Internet Gateway mailboxes sent by ED via the National Student Loan Data System (?NSLDS?). The institution determines how often it receives the Enrollment Reporting roster file with the default set at a minimum of every 60 days. Once received, the institution must update for changes in student status, report the date the enrollment status was effective, enter the new anticipated completion date, and submit the changes electronically through the batch method or the NSLDS website. Institutions are responsible for timely reporting, whether they report directly or via a third-party servicer. Condition The Federal Government requires the College to report student enrollment changes to the National Student Loan Data System (?NSLDS?) within 60 days. During our testing, we noted one student, out of a sample of ten, that had an incorrect effective date reported to NSLDS, a second student, out of a sample of ten, not reported to NSLDS the required timeframe by ninety-two days. Cause The College did not have adequate procedures in place to ensure that students with status changes had their effective date correctly reported to NSLDS and the College did not have adequate procedures in place to ensure students were reported timely to NSLDS. Effect The College did not report the correct effective date for one student's status change and did not report the status change of another student to NSLDS, which may impact the students? loan grace periods and enrollment reporting statistics collected by the Department of Education. Questioned Costs Not applicable Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the ten students selected for testing, two students, or 20% of our sample, had issues with a timely reporting of a student change of status to NSLDS and incorrect reporting date reported to NSLDS. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable Not applicable Recommendation The College should provide training to employees responsible for processing information for the NSLDS and ensure that they have adequate knowledge of the related rules and regulations. This training should include an explanation of the status changes, effective dates, the importance of reporting the correct status change and effective dates, and the consequences of incorrect reporting. Additionally, the College should implement reconciliation procedures between enrollment records and NSLDS to ensure that information is properly maintained. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding.