Finding 9921 (2023-002)

Significant Deficiency
Requirement
L
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2023
Accepted
2024-01-25
Audit: 13554
Organization: Florida Southern College (FL)

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The College improperly reported student enrollment status changes to the NSLDS, including incorrect effective dates and statuses.
  • Impacted Requirements: Compliance with 34 CFR 685.309, which mandates timely and accurate reporting of enrollment status changes within specified timeframes.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: The College should enhance procedures to ensure accurate reporting of dates and statuses to the NSLDS moving forward.

Finding Text

2023 – 002 Enrollment Reporting Federal agency: Department of Education Federal program: Title: Student Financial Assistance Cluster Assistance Listing Number: 84.063 – Federal Pell Grant Program, 84.268 – Federal Direct Student Loans Award Period: June 1, 2022, to May 31, 2023 Type of Finding: Other Matters Finding related to Compliance within Uniform Guidance and Significant Deficiency in Internal Control Over Compliance Criteria or specific requirement: The Code of Federal Regulations, 34 CFR 685.309 requires that enrollment status changes for students be reported to NSLDS within 30 days or within 60 days if the student with the status change will be reported on a scheduled transmission within 60 days of the change in status. Regulations require the status include an accurate effective date. In addition, regulations require that an institution make necessary corrections and return the records within 10 days for any roster files that don’t pass the NSLDS enrollment reporting edits. Condition: During our testing of the Direct Loan and Pell Grant programs, we selected a sample of 40 students to test for timeliness of reporting student status changes to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS). During our testing, we noted two instances where the effective date of a student status change was improperly reported to the NSLDS and one instance where the enrollment status was improperly reported to the NSLDS. Questioned costs: None Context: Out of a sample of 40 students selected for testing for the requirement noted above, we noted three exceptions as described above. Cause: Two students were dual degree students which requires their status change to be manually inputted. During manual input for these two students, the College improperly used the commencement date rather than the last day of class as the effective date of the status change. For the third student, the College failed to report the student status change from Full-Time to Withdrawal to NSLDS. Effect: Incorrect effective dates or enrollment status’ were reported to the NSLDS. Repeat Finding: No. Recommendation: We recommend that the College review and implement procedures to ensure that the correct date and status is reported to the NSLDS in all cases. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: There is no disagreement with the audit finding. See Corrective Action Plan prepared by the College.

Corrective Action Plan

Enrollment Reporting Recommendation: We recommend that the College review and implement procedures to ensure the correct date and status is reported to the NSLDS in all cases. Explanation of disagreement with audit finding: There is no disagreement with the audit finding. Action taken in response to finding: For the two students who were dual degree, manual entry errors were the cause and were corrected. The College will implement a process in September 2023 where a second reviewer from Institutional Research will review the manual entry for student status changes to ensure that the correct dates are reported to NSDLS. For the third student, the timing of the notification of withdrawal, which had to be processed retroactively, and when the certification file was sent to NSDLS caused the student to be left out of the certification file. The College has added additional College officials (in Institutional Research) to the daily and monthly withdrawal lists so students who are processed retroactively will not be missed. Name(s) of the contact person(s) responsible for corrective action: Lindsay Thibodaux Planned completion date for corrective action plan: September 2023

Categories

Student Financial Aid Reporting Significant Deficiency Matching / Level of Effort / Earmarking Internal Control / Segregation of Duties

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 9919 2023-001
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 9920 2023-001
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 9922 2023-002
    Significant Deficiency
  • 586361 2023-001
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 586362 2023-001
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 586363 2023-002
    Significant Deficiency
  • 586364 2023-002
    Significant Deficiency

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
84.268 Federal Direct Student Loans $25.04M
84.063 Federal Pell Grant Program $3.76M
84.007 Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants $303,817
84.038 Federal Perkins Loans Outstanding $286,889
84.033 Federal Work-Study Program $249,802