Finding Text
Criteria
According to 34 CFR 685.309(b)(2):
Unless Massasoit Community 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, out of a sample of forty, we noted three had incorrect
effective dates reported to NSLDS and two students were not reported to NSLDS in the required timeframe of 60
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 three students’ status change and did not report the status
change of two students 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 forty students selected for testing, five
students, or 13% 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.