ERIC Number: ED616118
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2019-Jul-17
Pages: 30
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Federal Student Aid's Oversight of Schools' Compliance with Satisfactory Academic Progress Regulations. ED-OIG/A04S0012
Office of Inspector General, US Department of Education
The objectives of this audit were to determine: (1) whether Federal Student Aid (FSA) ensured completion of corrective actions in response to audit and program review findings related to satisfactory academic progress (SAP); and (2) what actions FSA has taken to assist schools with compliance with SAP requirements. The audit covered compliance audits and program reviews for which FSA either issued a final determination letter or screened the audit report and confirmed it as complete from October 1, 2015, through September 30, 2017, and FSA's actions to assist schools with SAP compliance during that same period. The audit reviewed samples consisting of 27 compliance audits (15 deficient audits and 12 non-deficient audits) and 21 program reviews, all with at least one SAP finding, to determine whether FSA ensured these schools completed the required corrective actions. FSA documentation was reviewed and FSA staff were interviewed to determine the actions FSA has taken to assist schools with compliance with SAP requirements. The audit found that FSA did not always ensure schools completed corrective actions related to the SAP findings identified in compliance audits and program reviews. This occurred because FSA's Program Compliance office did not always perform the required resolution activities or address all SAP-related findings in the final determination letters. FSA's failure to resolve SAP-related findings could result in: (1) schools with repeated SAP findings; (2) ineligible students receiving Title IV program funds; (3) noncompliant schools continuing to participate in Title IV programs; or (4) FSA not establishing liabilities payable from schools that disbursed Title IV program funds to students who did not meet SAP requirements.
Descriptors: Federal Aid, Student Financial Aid, Audits (Verification), Compliance (Legal), Academic Achievement, Eligibility, Educational Legislation, Federal Legislation, Higher Education, Legal Problems, Federal Programs
Office of Inspector General, US Department of Education. Available from: ED Pubs. P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Tel: 877-433-7827; e-mail: edpubs@edpubs.ed.gov; Web site: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oig/managementchallenges.html
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Office of Inspector General (ED)
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: Higher Education Act Title IV
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A