Finding Text
FINDING 2022-001 Program: COVID-19 CARES ACT: CFDA 84.425 HIGHER EDUCATION EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND Criteria: Under section 18004(a)(1) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security ("CARES") Act, the Recipient retains discretion to determine the amount of each individual emergency financial aid grant consistent with all applicable laws including non-discrimination laws. Condition: Notre Dame College did not verify that individual emergency financial aid grants followed its stated policy. Repeat Finding from Prior Year: No Questioned Cost: None Context: The Institution failed to verify that the information obtained from an internal data reporting system was in compliance with its policy. Effect: Although Notre Dame College disbursed the entire Student Aid Portion of the HEERF award to the students, there were individual amounts distributed to students that did not comply with the Institution's policy. This resulted in an under-payment in the amount of $4,300 to seven students out of forty that were sampled. When the College reviewed the entire population, the overall result was an under-payment to the students in the amount of $107,148. Cause: Notre Dame College was unaware that the information pulled from an internal data reporting system was incorrect resulting in certain students being over or under awarded HEERF dollars. Recommendation: Verify that information being pulled from the internal data reporting system is correct. Management Response: Management acknowledges that there was an undetected error in the information obtained from the data reporting system; however, the funds were fully distributed, and management has no intention of taking any follow up actions with the students regarding a corrective payment. Management will defer to the DOE for further guidance on resolution.