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Urban College of BostonHigher Education

EIN: 043403049

UEI: XPN8N1JFAX18

Audited by: WithumSmith+Brown, P.C.

Oversight agency: 84 [Department of Education]

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Data as of September 2, 2026

Urban College of Boston10 audit years28 findings14 repeat
10
Audit Years
28
Total Findings
14
Repeat Findings
$1.4M
Federal Awards Expended (FY 2025)

FY 2025-06-30

$1,356,234 federal awards expended

Management decision deadline — for entities that funded this organization

The FAC accepted this audit on March 30, 2026. Under 2 CFR 200.521(d), a pass-through entity that provided federal funds to this organization for this audit period must issue a management decision on these findings by September 30, 2026 (24 days from today).

What is a management decision? →
2025-002
Cash Management
MATERIAL WEAKNESSMODIFIED OPINIONREPEAT OF 2024-001

Finding number: 2025-002 Federal agency: U.S. Department of Education Programs: Student Financial Assistance Cluster Assistance Listing #: 84.063 & 84.007 & 84.268 Award year: 2025 Criteria According to 34 CFR 668.164(h): Title IV, Higher Education Act (“HEA”) credit balances. (1) A title IV, HEA credit balance occurs whenever the amount of title IV, HEA program funds credited to a student's ledger account for a payment period exceeds the amount assessed the student for allowable charges associated with that payment period. (2) A title IV, HEA credit balance must be paid directly to the student or parent as soon as possible, but – (i) No later than 14 days after the balance occurred if the balance occurred after the first day of class of a payment period; or (ii) No later than 14 days after the first day of class of a payment period if the credit balance occurred on or before the first day of that payment period. Condition The Federal Government requires that whenever Title IV aid is disbursed on a student’s account, the account must be reviewed to determine if the disbursement caused a credit balance. If the credit balance was caused by Title IV funds, the College must refund the balance directly to the student within 14 days of the disbursement of funds. During our testing, we noted 9 students, out of a sample of 60, that were not refunded credit balances within the required timeframe by 15-58 days. Cause The College failed to identify and return Title IV credit balances within required timeframe due to lack of procedures and knowledge of compliance requirements over Student Financial Assistance requirements within business office. Effect The College did not refund Title IV credit balances within the required 14-day time frame and therefore was not in compliance with federal requirements. Questioned Costs Not applicable Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the 60 students selected for testing, 47 students, or 78% of our sample, had credit balances caused by financial aid. Of these 47 students, 9 students’ credit balances caused by Title IV funds were not refunded within the required time frame (19% of students who had credit balances). The remaining 38 students had credit balances as a result of Title IV aid, which were returned within the required time frame. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable See finding 2024-001 included in the summary schedule of prior year findings. Recommendation The Business Office should continue to develop their procedures to identify credit balances caused by changes on students’ accounts as well as disbursements. This includes reviewing accounts after late disbursement of Title IV aid as well as tuition and fee adjustments, health insurance waivers and bookstore credits. Moreover, the College should provide training to employees responsible for processing such information over student accounts to ensure personnel have adequate knowledge in the related rules and regulations. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding and has implemented the corrective action plan listed within the management corrective action plan section of this report.

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Finding number: 2025-002 Federal agency: U.S. Department of Education Programs: Student Financial Assistance Cluster Assistance Listing #: 84.063 & 84.007 & 84.268 Award year: 2025 Criteria According to 34 CFR 668.164(h): Title IV, Higher Education Act (“HEA”) credit balances. (1) A title IV, HEA credit balance occurs whenever the amount of title IV, HEA program funds credited to a student's ledger account for a payment period exceeds the amount assessed the student for allowable charges associated with that payment period. (2) A title IV, HEA credit balance must be paid directly to the student or parent as soon as possible, but – (i) No later than 14 days after the balance occurred if the balance occurred after the first day of class of a payment period; or (ii) No later than 14 days after the first day of class of a payment period if the credit balance occurred on or before the first day of that payment period. Condition The Federal Government requires that whenever Title IV aid is disbursed on a student’s account, the account must be reviewed to determine if the disbursement caused a credit balance. If the credit balance was caused by Title IV funds, the College must refund the balance directly to the student within 14 days of the disbursement of funds. During our testing, we noted 9 students, out of a sample of 60, that were not refunded credit balances within the required timeframe by 15-58 days. Cause The College failed to identify and return Title IV credit balances within required timeframe due to lack of procedures and knowledge of compliance requirements over Student Financial Assistance requirements within business office. Effect The College did not refund Title IV credit balances within the required 14-day time frame and therefore was not in compliance with federal requirements. Questioned Costs Not applicable Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the 60 students selected for testing, 47 students, or 78% of our sample, had credit balances caused by financial aid. Of these 47 students, 9 students’ credit balances caused by Title IV funds were not refunded within the required time frame (19% of students who had credit balances). The remaining 38 students had credit balances as a result of Title IV aid, which were returned within the required time frame. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable See finding 2024-001 included in the summary schedule of prior year findings. Recommendation The Business Office should continue to develop their procedures to identify credit balances caused by changes on students’ accounts as well as disbursements. This includes reviewing accounts after late disbursement of Title IV aid as well as tuition and fee adjustments, health insurance waivers and bookstore credits. Moreover, the College should provide training to employees responsible for processing such information over student accounts to ensure personnel have adequate knowledge in the related rules and regulations. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding and has implemented the corrective action plan listed within the management corrective action plan section of this report.

Corrective Action Plan

Finding number: 2025-002 Federal agency: U.S. Department of Education Programs: Student Financial Assistance Cluster Assistance Listing #: 84.063 & 84.007 & 84.268 Award year: 2025 Corrective Action The Urban College of Boston (UCB) agrees with this finding. The Business Office will re-emphasize and reinforce current procedures for identifying and monitoring student credit balances, including reviews triggered by changes to student accounts such as late disbursements of Title IV aid, tuition and fee adjustments. Staff have recently gone through retraining of this process and are reminded of the importance of conducting timely and thorough reviews after all account activity that may result in a credit balance. To strengthen adherence, together with the Financial Aid office, the Business Office will enhance oversight by increasing supervisory review of credit balance processing and refund timelines. Existing tracking mechanisms will be more closely monitored to ensure that all Title IV-related credit balances are refunded within required time frames. Additionally, both the Finance Aid Office and the Business office will conduct periodic internal reviews to confirm that procedures are being followed and to identify any areas where further reinforcement may be needed. Timeline for Implementation of Corrective Action Plan: Continued oversight and implementation of further checks and balances will be effective April 1, 2026. Contact Person: Erline Tanice, Chief Financial Officer: Erline.Tanice@urbancollege.edu

Prior Finding References

2024-001

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2025-003
Special Tests & Provisions
MODIFIED OPINIONSIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCYREPEAT OF 2024-004QUESTIONED COSTS

Finding number: 2025-003 Federal agency: U.S. Department of Education Programs: Student Financial Assistance Cluster Assistance Listing #: 84.063 & 84.007 Award year: 2025 Criteria According to 34 CFR 668.22(e)(4): Total amount of unearned title IV assistance to be returned. The unearned amount of title IV assistance to be returned is calculated by subtracting the amount of title IV assistance earned by the student as calculated under paragraph (e)(1) of this section from the amount of title IV aid that was disbursed to the student as of the date of the institution's determination that the student withdrew. Condition The Financial Aid Office is responsible for completing the Return of Title IV calculation to determine how much Title IV aid the student earned and how much must be returned to the Department of Education. Once the Return of Title IV calculation is completed, the College is responsible for adjusting the student’s billing statement and returning unearned Title IV funds through the U.S. Department of Education’s Grant Management System (“G5”). The College has 45 days from the date they determined the student withdrew to return any unearned portions of Title IV funds. During our testing, we noted 2 students, out of a sample of 21, where the aid returned was different than the amount correctly calculated on the Return to Title IV (“R2T4”) form. Cause The College did not ensure that the regulations were met in regard to refunding Title IV funds when calculating the amount of aid to be returned. Effect The College did not return the correct amount of Title IV funds to the Department of Education. Questioned Costs $60.11 Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the 21 students selected for testing, 2 students, or 10% of our sample, had the incorrect amount of Title IV funds returned. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable See finding 2024-004 included in the summary schedule of prior year findings. Recommendation The College should review their current policies and procedures to ensure the amount of federal aid returned agrees with the amount calculated on the R2T4 form. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding and has implemented the corrective action plan listed within the management corrective action plan section of this report

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Finding number: 2025-003 Federal agency: U.S. Department of Education Programs: Student Financial Assistance Cluster Assistance Listing #: 84.063 & 84.007 Award year: 2025 Criteria According to 34 CFR 668.22(e)(4): Total amount of unearned title IV assistance to be returned. The unearned amount of title IV assistance to be returned is calculated by subtracting the amount of title IV assistance earned by the student as calculated under paragraph (e)(1) of this section from the amount of title IV aid that was disbursed to the student as of the date of the institution's determination that the student withdrew. Condition The Financial Aid Office is responsible for completing the Return of Title IV calculation to determine how much Title IV aid the student earned and how much must be returned to the Department of Education. Once the Return of Title IV calculation is completed, the College is responsible for adjusting the student’s billing statement and returning unearned Title IV funds through the U.S. Department of Education’s Grant Management System (“G5”). The College has 45 days from the date they determined the student withdrew to return any unearned portions of Title IV funds. During our testing, we noted 2 students, out of a sample of 21, where the aid returned was different than the amount correctly calculated on the Return to Title IV (“R2T4”) form. Cause The College did not ensure that the regulations were met in regard to refunding Title IV funds when calculating the amount of aid to be returned. Effect The College did not return the correct amount of Title IV funds to the Department of Education. Questioned Costs $60.11 Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the 21 students selected for testing, 2 students, or 10% of our sample, had the incorrect amount of Title IV funds returned. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable See finding 2024-004 included in the summary schedule of prior year findings. Recommendation The College should review their current policies and procedures to ensure the amount of federal aid returned agrees with the amount calculated on the R2T4 form. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding and has implemented the corrective action plan listed within the management corrective action plan section of this report

Corrective Action Plan

Finding number: 2025-003 Federal agency: U.S. Department of Education Programs: Student Financial Assistance Cluster Assistance Listing #: 84.063 & 84.007 Award year: 2025 Corrective Action The Urban College of Boston (UCB) agrees with this finding, and upon its review of the affected student and the college’s policies and procedures, has determined the error was a result of an isolated event due to human error. This was an oversight on the part of the processor. The processor failed to include break days of 5 days or more in the denominator of the Return to Title IV calculation resulting in an incorrect return amount. Urban College has applied institutional funding to the overpayment of funds. The Director of Financial Aid (DFA) has reviewed all Return to Title IV calculations for the Spring 2025 semester and confirms no other students were affected. The DFA is working with Global Financial Aid Services to include reviewing scheduled breaks as part of their quarterly audit review process. Timeline for Implementation of Corrective Action Plan: Implementation of new processes effective April 1, 2026 Contact Person: Stacy Broadus, Director of Student Financial Services: Stacy.Broadus@urbancollege.edu

Prior Finding References

2024-004

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2025-004
Special Tests & Provisions
MODIFIED OPINIONSIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCYREPEAT OF 2024-005

Finding number: 2025-004 Federal agency: U.S. Department of Education Programs: Student Financial Assistance Cluster Assistance Listing #: 84.063 & 84.007 Award year: 2025 Criteria According to 34 CFR 668.22(j)(1): Timeframe for the return of title IV funds. An institution must return the amount of title IV funds for which it is responsible under paragraph (g) of this section as soon as possible but no later than 45 days after the date of the institution's determination that the student withdrew as defined in paragraph (l)(3) of this section. According to 34 CFR 668.173(b): Timely return of Title IV, HEA program funds. In accordance with procedures established by the Secretary or Federal Family Education Loan (“FFEL”) program lender, an institution returns unearned Title IV, HEA program funds timely if – (1) The institution deposits or transfers the funds into the bank account it maintains under 34 CFR Sections 668.163 no later than 45 days after the date it determines the student withdrew; (2) The institution initiates an electronic funds transfer no later than 45 days after the date it determines that the student withdrew; (3) The institution initiates an electronic transaction no later than 45 days after the date it determines that the student withdrew, that informs a FFEL lender to adjust the borrower’s loan account for the amount returned; or (4) The institution issues a check no later than 45 days after the date it determines that the student withdrew. An institution does not satisfy this requirement if – (i) The institution’s records show that the check was issued more than 45 days after the date the institution determined the student withdrew; or (ii) The date on the cancelled check shows that the bank used by the Secretary or FFEL Program lender endorsed that check more than 60 days after the date the institution determined that the student withdrew. Condition Federal regulations state that any unearned Title IV grant or loan assistance received by a student must be refunded to the Title IV programs upon a student’s withdrawal from the institution. The College has 45 days from the date they determined the student withdrew to return any unearned portions of Title IV funds. During our testing, we noted 1 student, out of a sample of 21, had unearned Title IV aid that was not returned to the Federal Government, within 45 days of the determined withdrawal date, by 40 days. Cause The College did not consistently follow the procedures in place to monitor student withdrawals related to Title IV funds that must be returned to the Department of Education within 45 days due to delay between student’s withdrawal date and the date in which return was moved to financing department. Effect The College did not return unearned Title IV funds within the required 45-day time frame. Questioned Costs Not applicable Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the 21 students selected for testing, 1 student, or 5% of our sample, had unearned Title IV funds that were not returned to the Department of Education within the 45-day required time frame. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable See finding 2024-005 included in the summary schedule of prior year findings. Recommendation The College should strengthen their controls surrounding the review Return of Title IV calculations in a timely manner to ensure that all funds are returned to the Department of Education within the required time frame. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding and has implemented the corrective action plan listed within the management corrective action plan section of this report.

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Finding number: 2025-004 Federal agency: U.S. Department of Education Programs: Student Financial Assistance Cluster Assistance Listing #: 84.063 & 84.007 Award year: 2025 Criteria According to 34 CFR 668.22(j)(1): Timeframe for the return of title IV funds. An institution must return the amount of title IV funds for which it is responsible under paragraph (g) of this section as soon as possible but no later than 45 days after the date of the institution's determination that the student withdrew as defined in paragraph (l)(3) of this section. According to 34 CFR 668.173(b): Timely return of Title IV, HEA program funds. In accordance with procedures established by the Secretary or Federal Family Education Loan (“FFEL”) program lender, an institution returns unearned Title IV, HEA program funds timely if – (1) The institution deposits or transfers the funds into the bank account it maintains under 34 CFR Sections 668.163 no later than 45 days after the date it determines the student withdrew; (2) The institution initiates an electronic funds transfer no later than 45 days after the date it determines that the student withdrew; (3) The institution initiates an electronic transaction no later than 45 days after the date it determines that the student withdrew, that informs a FFEL lender to adjust the borrower’s loan account for the amount returned; or (4) The institution issues a check no later than 45 days after the date it determines that the student withdrew. An institution does not satisfy this requirement if – (i) The institution’s records show that the check was issued more than 45 days after the date the institution determined the student withdrew; or (ii) The date on the cancelled check shows that the bank used by the Secretary or FFEL Program lender endorsed that check more than 60 days after the date the institution determined that the student withdrew. Condition Federal regulations state that any unearned Title IV grant or loan assistance received by a student must be refunded to the Title IV programs upon a student’s withdrawal from the institution. The College has 45 days from the date they determined the student withdrew to return any unearned portions of Title IV funds. During our testing, we noted 1 student, out of a sample of 21, had unearned Title IV aid that was not returned to the Federal Government, within 45 days of the determined withdrawal date, by 40 days. Cause The College did not consistently follow the procedures in place to monitor student withdrawals related to Title IV funds that must be returned to the Department of Education within 45 days due to delay between student’s withdrawal date and the date in which return was moved to financing department. Effect The College did not return unearned Title IV funds within the required 45-day time frame. Questioned Costs Not applicable Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the 21 students selected for testing, 1 student, or 5% of our sample, had unearned Title IV funds that were not returned to the Department of Education within the 45-day required time frame. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable See finding 2024-005 included in the summary schedule of prior year findings. Recommendation The College should strengthen their controls surrounding the review Return of Title IV calculations in a timely manner to ensure that all funds are returned to the Department of Education within the required time frame. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding and has implemented the corrective action plan listed within the management corrective action plan section of this report.

Corrective Action Plan

Finding number: 2025-004 Federal agency: U.S. Department of Education Programs: Student Financial Assistance Cluster Assistance Listing #: 84.063 & 84.007 Award year: 2025 Corrective Action The Urban College of Boston (UCB) agrees with this finding, and upon its review of the affected students and the college’s policies and procedures, has determined this was an isolated incident. The student was incorrectly marked in the system as having attended a course she had not, therefore she did not pull on any of the systems drop or withdrawal reporting. It was later discovered that the student had not attended the course therefore making the Return to Title IV calculation submission and refund late. No other students in the semester were affected by the miscalculation of attendance. Timeline for Implementation of Corrective Action Plan: Although categorized as a repeat finding, Urban College considers this year’s issue a different situation from the prior year’s late refund return. This year’s late return was due to a systems issue and not due to internal process and procedure. Contact Person: Stacy Broadus, Director of Student Financial Services: Stacy.Broadus@urbancollege.edu

Prior Finding References

2024-005

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2025-005
Special Tests & Provisions
MATERIAL WEAKNESSMODIFIED OPINIONREPEAT OF 2024-006

Finding number: 2025-005 Federal agency: U.S. Department of Education Programs: Student Financial Assistance Cluster Assistance Listing #: 84.063 & 84.007 Award year: 2025 Criteria According to 34 CFR 685.309(b)(2): Unless [the institution] it 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 2018: 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 7 students, out of a sample of 60, that had incorrect effective dates reported to NSLDS. We noted 5 students, out of a sample of 60, were not reported to NSLDS within the required timeframe. 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. For unofficial withdrawals, an administrative withdrawal form is completed once determined by the College. As the College is an attendance-taking institution, the College should have reported the students’ last date of attendance as the effective date, but instead used the date that the College completed withdrawal form as the effective date. Effect The College did not report the students’ correct status changes 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 60 students selected for testing, 7 students, or 12% of our sample, had incorrect effective dates reported to NSLDS and 5 students, or 8% of our sample, were not reported within required timeframe of 60 to NSLDS. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable See finding 2024-006 included in the summary schedule of prior year findings.   Recommendation The College should provide training to employees responsible for processing information for the NSLDS and ensure that they have adequate knowledge in the related rules and regulations. This training should include an explanation of the effective date of a student’s withdrawal, the importance of reporting the correct effective date and the consequences of incorrect reporting. Moreover, the College should emphasize the importance of distinguishing the last date of attendance (Activity Date) and completion date of Administrative Withdrawal Form (Date Completed). This oversight should also ensure that the effective date reported to NSLDS is consistent with the date the student separated from the College. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding and has implemented the corrective action plan listed within the management corrective action plan section of this report.

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Finding number: 2025-005 Federal agency: U.S. Department of Education Programs: Student Financial Assistance Cluster Assistance Listing #: 84.063 & 84.007 Award year: 2025 Criteria According to 34 CFR 685.309(b)(2): Unless [the institution] it 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 2018: 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 7 students, out of a sample of 60, that had incorrect effective dates reported to NSLDS. We noted 5 students, out of a sample of 60, were not reported to NSLDS within the required timeframe. 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. For unofficial withdrawals, an administrative withdrawal form is completed once determined by the College. As the College is an attendance-taking institution, the College should have reported the students’ last date of attendance as the effective date, but instead used the date that the College completed withdrawal form as the effective date. Effect The College did not report the students’ correct status changes 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 60 students selected for testing, 7 students, or 12% of our sample, had incorrect effective dates reported to NSLDS and 5 students, or 8% of our sample, were not reported within required timeframe of 60 to NSLDS. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable See finding 2024-006 included in the summary schedule of prior year findings.   Recommendation The College should provide training to employees responsible for processing information for the NSLDS and ensure that they have adequate knowledge in the related rules and regulations. This training should include an explanation of the effective date of a student’s withdrawal, the importance of reporting the correct effective date and the consequences of incorrect reporting. Moreover, the College should emphasize the importance of distinguishing the last date of attendance (Activity Date) and completion date of Administrative Withdrawal Form (Date Completed). This oversight should also ensure that the effective date reported to NSLDS is consistent with the date the student separated from the College. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding and has implemented the corrective action plan listed within the management corrective action plan section of this report.

Corrective Action Plan

Finding Number: 2025-005 Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Education Programs: Student Financial Assistance Cluster Assistance Listing #: 84.063 & 84.007 Award Year: 2025 Corrective Action The Urban College of Boston (UCB) agrees with this finding, and upon its review of the affected students and the college’s policies and procedures, has determined the errors are reflective a deficiency in the submission of enrollment data to the Clearinghouse. The finding occurred because of gaps in the college’s internal processes for reporting enrollment status changes to NSLDS during a period when withdrawal processes were evolving. Specifically, there were no controls to ensure that the correct effective date was reported for unofficial withdrawals. These controls are necessary because updating the effective date is a manual process in the College’s student information system. As an attendance taking institution, the College should have reported each student’s last date of attendance as the effective date. Instead, there were students for whom the effective date was not manually updated to the last date of attendance. In addition, the prior reporting cadence did not allow sufficient time to identify and correct errors before data was transmitted to NSLDS, resulting in often late, incorrect, or missed reporting. To correct this issue, the College has revised its reporting processes and withdrawal procedures. As a result of last year’s audit, the College updated its National Student Clearinghouse reporting cadence to align with the Clearinghouse’s schedule for reporting to NSLDS. The College now reports enrollment data every 30 days instead of every 45 days, providing ample time for error resolution and ensuring students are reported to NSLDS within the required 60 days. The withdrawal process has also now been clearly established after recent changes, with the course withdrawal date defined as the student’s last date of attendance and training provided to the Registration Coordinator on the new process. To prevent recurrence, the Registrar’s Office now runs standardized reports on a regular cadence to identify enrollment status changes, withdrawal activity, and last dates of attendance and to catch any discrepancies prior to submission to the Clearinghouse. These reports are reviewed as part of a defined check and balance process to ensure the accuracy and timeliness of NSLDS reporting. Timeline for Implementation of Corrective Action Plan: Is already in practice effective Fall 2025 semester. Contact Person: Waqas Mirza, Registrar: Waqas.Mirza@urbancollege.edu

Prior Finding References

2024-006

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FY 2024-06-30

$1,210,980 federal awards expended

FAC accepted this audit on March 31, 2025 — management decision was due October 1, 2025.

2024-001
Cash Management
MATERIAL WEAKNESSMODIFIED OPINIONREPEAT OF 2023-001

Criteria According to 34 CFR 668.164(h): Title IV, Higher Education Act (“HEA”) credit balances. (1) A title IV, HEA credit balance occurs whenever the amount of title IV, HEA program funds credited to a student's ledger account for a payment period exceeds the amount assessed the student for allowable charges associated with that payment period. (2) A title IV, HEA credit balance must be paid directly to the student or parent as soon as possible, but – (i) No later than 14 days after the balance occurred if the balance occurred after the first day of class of a payment period; or (ii) No later than 14 days after the first day of class of a payment period if the credit balance occurred on or before the first day of that payment period. Condition The Federal Government requires that whenever Title IV aid is disbursed on a student’s account, the account must be reviewed to determine if the disbursement caused a credit balance. If the credit balance was caused by Title IV funds, the College must refund the balance directly to the student within 14 days of the disbursement of funds. During our testing, we noted 29 students, out of a sample of 60, that were not refunded credit balances within the required timeframe by 8-251 days. Cause The College failed to identify and return Title IV credit balances within required timeframe due to lack of procedures and knowledge of compliance requirements over Student Financial Assistance requirements within business office. Effect The College did not refund Title IV credit balances within the required 14-day time frame and therefore was not in compliance with federal requirements. Questioned Costs Not applicable Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the 60 students selected for testing, 44 students, or 73% of our sample, had credit balances caused by financial aid. Of these 44 students, 29 students’ credit balances caused by Title IV funds were not refunded within the required time frame (65.9% of students who had credit balances). The remaining 15 students had credit balances as a result of Title IV aid, which were returned within the required time frame. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable See finding 2023-001 included in the summary schedule of prior year findings. Recommendation The Business Office should continue to develop their procedures to identify credit balances caused by changes on students’ accounts as well as disbursements. This includes reviewing accounts after late disbursement of Title IV aid as well as tuition and fee adjustments, health insurance waivers and bookstore credits. Moreover, the College should provide training to employees responsible for processing such information over student accounts to ensure personnel have adequate knowledge in the related rules and regulations. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding and has implemented the corrective action plan listed within the management corrective action plan section of this report.

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Criteria According to 34 CFR 668.164(h): Title IV, Higher Education Act (“HEA”) credit balances. (1) A title IV, HEA credit balance occurs whenever the amount of title IV, HEA program funds credited to a student's ledger account for a payment period exceeds the amount assessed the student for allowable charges associated with that payment period. (2) A title IV, HEA credit balance must be paid directly to the student or parent as soon as possible, but – (i) No later than 14 days after the balance occurred if the balance occurred after the first day of class of a payment period; or (ii) No later than 14 days after the first day of class of a payment period if the credit balance occurred on or before the first day of that payment period. Condition The Federal Government requires that whenever Title IV aid is disbursed on a student’s account, the account must be reviewed to determine if the disbursement caused a credit balance. If the credit balance was caused by Title IV funds, the College must refund the balance directly to the student within 14 days of the disbursement of funds. During our testing, we noted 29 students, out of a sample of 60, that were not refunded credit balances within the required timeframe by 8-251 days. Cause The College failed to identify and return Title IV credit balances within required timeframe due to lack of procedures and knowledge of compliance requirements over Student Financial Assistance requirements within business office. Effect The College did not refund Title IV credit balances within the required 14-day time frame and therefore was not in compliance with federal requirements. Questioned Costs Not applicable Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the 60 students selected for testing, 44 students, or 73% of our sample, had credit balances caused by financial aid. Of these 44 students, 29 students’ credit balances caused by Title IV funds were not refunded within the required time frame (65.9% of students who had credit balances). The remaining 15 students had credit balances as a result of Title IV aid, which were returned within the required time frame. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable See finding 2023-001 included in the summary schedule of prior year findings. Recommendation The Business Office should continue to develop their procedures to identify credit balances caused by changes on students’ accounts as well as disbursements. This includes reviewing accounts after late disbursement of Title IV aid as well as tuition and fee adjustments, health insurance waivers and bookstore credits. Moreover, the College should provide training to employees responsible for processing such information over student accounts to ensure personnel have adequate knowledge in the related rules and regulations. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding and has implemented the corrective action plan listed within the management corrective action plan section of this report.

Corrective Action Plan

Corrective Action The Urban College of Boston (UCB) agrees with this finding, and upon its review of the affected students and the college’s policies and procedures, has determined the errors are reflective of weak procedures and lack of knowledge from our Business office of Title IV requirements involving the handling of Title IV credit balances. In April 2024 after the 2023 audit, we identified weaknesses in Title IV credit balance process. It was also discovered during the 2023 audit review that not all our Business Office employees understood the federal regulation on Title IV refunds and the 14-day rule. When processes were reviewed and updated, the financial aid and business office staff went through coaching and training. Unfortunately, these 2023-2024 credit balance findings occurred prior to the implementation of these new processes from the results of the 2022-2023 audit. Urban College of Boston (UCB) has contracted with Global Financial Aid Services (Global FAS) effective for the 2023/2024 Award Year. Process changes include Global FAS providing UCB with a daily check register report of all student disbursements. Through the Disbursement process, UCB must first process all check registers, reconcile student billing, and identify and process student credit balances before funds can be drawn down from the Common Origination and Disbursement System (COD). The UCB Business Office commits to processing check registers within 7 business days and providing the Cash Monitoring report to Global FAS so funds can be released and deposited into the Federal Funds Account. The Business Office also conducts a weekly credit balance review in the event adjustments were made to a student’s account that may have created a credit. These updated processes will ensure student refunds are processed within the 14-day federal regulation. The Director of Student Financial Services is also conducting a twice of month Balance Report review to identify any credit balances on students accounts to determine if they are within or outside of the 14 days and reporting back to the Chief Finance Officer if any discrepancies are discovered. Timeline for Implementation of Corrective Action Plan: Although categorized as a repeat finding, Urban College considers this year’s issue an extension of the original finding from the 2023 audit period. This is because the corrective action plan addressing the initial finding was not implemented until April 2024, after the conclusion of the 2023 audit. Furthermore, all the students involved in this year’s finding were enrolled before the corrective action plan was rolled out in April 2024. Contact Person: Stacy Broadus, Director of Student Financial Services: Stacy.Broadus@urbancollege.edu

Prior Finding References

2023-001

About Cash Management →
2024-002
Special Tests & Provisions
MODIFIED OPINIONSIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCYREPEAT OF 2023-002

Criteria According to 34 CFR 690.83(b) (1) An institution shall report to the Secretary any change for which a student qualifies including any related Payment Data changes by submitting to the Secretary the student’s Payment Data that discloses the basis and result of the change in award for each student. The institution shall submit the student’s Payment Data reporting any to the Secretary by the reporting deadlines published by the Secretary in the Federal Register. (2) An institution shall submit, in accordance with the deadline dates established by the Secretary, through publication in the Federal Register, other reports and information the Secretary requires and shall comply with the procedures the Secretary finds necessary to ensure that the reports are correct. According to the Federal Register (Volume 88, Number 120): An institution must submit Pell Grant, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant, Direct Loan, and TEACH Grant disbursement records to COD, no later than 15 days after making the disbursement or becoming aware of the need to adjust a previously reported disbursement. In accordance with 34 CFR 668.164(a), title IV, Higher Education Act (“HEA”) program funds are disbursed on the date that the institution: (a) Credits those funds to a student’s account in the institution’s general ledger or any subledger of the general ledger; or (b) pays those funds to a student directly. Title IV, HEA program funds are disbursed even if an institution uses its own funds in advance of receiving program funds from the Department. Condition Federal regulations require the College to report to the Federal Government’s Common Origination and Disbursement System (“COD”) disbursements made to students accurately based on date award was credited to student directly. During our testing, we noted 51 students, out of a sample of 60, was not reported accurately to Common Origination System based on disbursement date per College records. Cause The College has policies and procedures in place to report the disbursement records to the Department of Education through the COD are recorded accurately, however, in this case the procedures were not completed properly. Cause due to transition and change in processes as the College has contracted service organization to assist in cash management. The College was not aware that there was a +1 day needed to be added to student accounts from check register provided by service organization, causing variance between actual disbursement date and disbursement date per COD. Effect The College did not report Pell disbursements to COD accurately based on College records. Questioned Costs Not applicable Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the 60 students selected for testing, 51 students, or 85% of our sample, had disbursement information not recorded. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable See finding 2023-002 included in the summary schedule of prior year findings. Recommendation We recommend that management of the College review, and if necessary, update the policies and procedures to ensure all Direct Loan funds disbursed are reported accurately based on when awards were credited to student account. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding and has implemented the corrective action plan within the management corrective action plan section of this report.

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Criteria According to 34 CFR 690.83(b) (1) An institution shall report to the Secretary any change for which a student qualifies including any related Payment Data changes by submitting to the Secretary the student’s Payment Data that discloses the basis and result of the change in award for each student. The institution shall submit the student’s Payment Data reporting any to the Secretary by the reporting deadlines published by the Secretary in the Federal Register. (2) An institution shall submit, in accordance with the deadline dates established by the Secretary, through publication in the Federal Register, other reports and information the Secretary requires and shall comply with the procedures the Secretary finds necessary to ensure that the reports are correct. According to the Federal Register (Volume 88, Number 120): An institution must submit Pell Grant, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant, Direct Loan, and TEACH Grant disbursement records to COD, no later than 15 days after making the disbursement or becoming aware of the need to adjust a previously reported disbursement. In accordance with 34 CFR 668.164(a), title IV, Higher Education Act (“HEA”) program funds are disbursed on the date that the institution: (a) Credits those funds to a student’s account in the institution’s general ledger or any subledger of the general ledger; or (b) pays those funds to a student directly. Title IV, HEA program funds are disbursed even if an institution uses its own funds in advance of receiving program funds from the Department. Condition Federal regulations require the College to report to the Federal Government’s Common Origination and Disbursement System (“COD”) disbursements made to students accurately based on date award was credited to student directly. During our testing, we noted 51 students, out of a sample of 60, was not reported accurately to Common Origination System based on disbursement date per College records. Cause The College has policies and procedures in place to report the disbursement records to the Department of Education through the COD are recorded accurately, however, in this case the procedures were not completed properly. Cause due to transition and change in processes as the College has contracted service organization to assist in cash management. The College was not aware that there was a +1 day needed to be added to student accounts from check register provided by service organization, causing variance between actual disbursement date and disbursement date per COD. Effect The College did not report Pell disbursements to COD accurately based on College records. Questioned Costs Not applicable Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the 60 students selected for testing, 51 students, or 85% of our sample, had disbursement information not recorded. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable See finding 2023-002 included in the summary schedule of prior year findings. Recommendation We recommend that management of the College review, and if necessary, update the policies and procedures to ensure all Direct Loan funds disbursed are reported accurately based on when awards were credited to student account. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding and has implemented the corrective action plan within the management corrective action plan section of this report.

Corrective Action Plan

Corrective Action The Urban College of Boston (UCB) agrees with this finding, and upon its review of the affected students and the college’s policies and procedures, has determined the errors are reflective of a lack of understanding of procedures involved in posting and reporting to COD. In April 2024 after the 2023 audit, we identified this as a gap in the Business Office process to ensure that dates disbursed matched the COD system. This process was rectified, and the business office staff was coached and trained. Unfortunately, these 2023-2024 findings occurred prior to the implementation and coaching of these new processes. Urban College of Boston (UCB) has contracted with Global Financial Aid Services (Global FAS) effective for the 2023/2024 Award Year. Global FAS provides UCB with a monthly reconciliation report through our shared Secured File Transfer Protocol site (SFTP)and notifies us when one is ready to be reviewed. Once the file is received, the Business Office will conduct a secondary reconciliation using the Global FAS report. The Business Office will review the students ledger/billing and compare information with COD to ensure all disbursement information matches according to regulation. Urban College conducted a full reconstruction of COD dates to Ledger posting dates and ensured that all dates for this auditing period and current funding year disbursements are accurate. Urban College has also moved to a once-a-week disbursement schedule which will structure our reporting from our SIS system to COD and assist in the accuracy of our data review. Global Financial Services has been conducting a quarterly testing of our disbursement records to also ensure the accuracy of data. The Director of Financial Aid and Chief Finance Officer will continue to review procedures and update according to regulation and policy changes so potential gaps are discovered proactively. Timeline for Implementation of Corrective Action Plan: Although categorized as a repeat finding, Urban College considers this year’s issue an extension of the original finding from the 2023 audit period. This is because the corrective action plan addressing the initial finding was not implemented until April 2024, after the conclusion of the 2023 audit. Furthermore, all the students involved in this year’s finding were enrolled before the corrective action plan was rolled out in April 2024. Contact Person: Stacy Broadus, Director of Student Financial Services: Stacy.Broadus@urbancollege.edu

Prior Finding References

2023-002

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2024-003
Special Tests & Provisions
MATERIAL WEAKNESSMODIFIED OPINIONREPEAT OF 2023-003QUESTIONED COSTS

Criteria According to 34 CFR 668.164(l): (1) Notwithstanding any State law (such as a law that allows funds to escheat to the State), an institution must return to the Secretary any title IV, Higher Education Act (“HEA”) program funds, except Federal Work Study (“FWS”) program funds, that it attempts to disburse directly to a student or parent that are not received by the student or parent. For FWS program funds, the institution is required to return only the Federal portion of the payroll disbursement. (2) If an EFT to a student's or parent's financial account is rejected, or a check to a student or parent is returned, the institution may make additional attempts to disburse the funds, provided that those attempts are made not later than 45 days after the EFT was rejected or the check returned. In cases where the institution does not make another attempt, the funds must be returned to the Secretary before the end of this 45-day period. (3) If a check sent to a student or parent is not returned to the institution but is not cashed, the institution must return the funds to the Secretary no later than 240 days after the date it issued the check. Condition Federal regulations require an institution to return unclaimed Title IV funds issued by check or EFT within 240 days. During our testing, we noted 9 students, out of a sample of 13, that had unclaimed funds exceeding the federal day limit by 64-717 days. Cause Accounts are reviewed and reconciled routinely. However, the College did not monitor outstanding checks or unclaimed funds over 240-days due to Title IV as the business office was not aware of 240-day timeframe to require unclaimed Title IV funds. Effect The College did not return Title IV unclaimed funds to the Department of Education within the required 240-day time frame. Questioned Costs There were 9 outstanding checks totaling $986, which pertained specifically to federal-sourced funds. Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the 13 students selected for testing, 9 students, or 69.23% of our sample, had unclaimed funds pertaining to federal sources that were not returned to the Department of Education within the 240-day required time frame. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable See finding 2023-003 included in the summary schedule of prior year findings. Recommendation The College should examine its policies and procedures related to unclaimed funds including the process and time frame for identifying aged balances and the process for cancelling checks and returning funds to the Department of Education. Moreover, the College should provide training to employees responsible for reviewing and processing information to ensure that they have adequate knowledge in the related rules and regulations. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding and has implemented the corrective action plan listed within the management corrective action plan section of this report.

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Criteria According to 34 CFR 668.164(l): (1) Notwithstanding any State law (such as a law that allows funds to escheat to the State), an institution must return to the Secretary any title IV, Higher Education Act (“HEA”) program funds, except Federal Work Study (“FWS”) program funds, that it attempts to disburse directly to a student or parent that are not received by the student or parent. For FWS program funds, the institution is required to return only the Federal portion of the payroll disbursement. (2) If an EFT to a student's or parent's financial account is rejected, or a check to a student or parent is returned, the institution may make additional attempts to disburse the funds, provided that those attempts are made not later than 45 days after the EFT was rejected or the check returned. In cases where the institution does not make another attempt, the funds must be returned to the Secretary before the end of this 45-day period. (3) If a check sent to a student or parent is not returned to the institution but is not cashed, the institution must return the funds to the Secretary no later than 240 days after the date it issued the check. Condition Federal regulations require an institution to return unclaimed Title IV funds issued by check or EFT within 240 days. During our testing, we noted 9 students, out of a sample of 13, that had unclaimed funds exceeding the federal day limit by 64-717 days. Cause Accounts are reviewed and reconciled routinely. However, the College did not monitor outstanding checks or unclaimed funds over 240-days due to Title IV as the business office was not aware of 240-day timeframe to require unclaimed Title IV funds. Effect The College did not return Title IV unclaimed funds to the Department of Education within the required 240-day time frame. Questioned Costs There were 9 outstanding checks totaling $986, which pertained specifically to federal-sourced funds. Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the 13 students selected for testing, 9 students, or 69.23% of our sample, had unclaimed funds pertaining to federal sources that were not returned to the Department of Education within the 240-day required time frame. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable See finding 2023-003 included in the summary schedule of prior year findings. Recommendation The College should examine its policies and procedures related to unclaimed funds including the process and time frame for identifying aged balances and the process for cancelling checks and returning funds to the Department of Education. Moreover, the College should provide training to employees responsible for reviewing and processing information to ensure that they have adequate knowledge in the related rules and regulations. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding and has implemented the corrective action plan listed within the management corrective action plan section of this report.

Corrective Action Plan

Corrective Action The Urban College of Boston (UCB) agrees with this finding and upon its review of the affected students and the college’s policies and procedures, has determined the errors are reflective of a lack of understanding of procedures involved in the return of uncashed checks. In April 2024 after the 2023 audit, we identified this as a missed practice in the Business Office procedures and because of the lack of understanding of the regulation, Business Office processes were created. Unfortunately, these 2023-2024 findings occurred prior to the implementation of this new process that was a result of the 2022-2023 audit. The Business Office leadership team reviews uncashed checks every 30 days as part of the ledger & billing reconciliation process to ensure these are addressed prior to the 240-day regulation. This process has been updated in the Business Office Cash Management operating procedure to ensure that UCB continues to meet the required timeline. Timeline for Implementation of Corrective Action Plan: Although categorized as a repeat finding, Urban College considers this year’s issue an extension of the original finding from the 2023 audit period. This is because the corrective action plan addressing the initial finding was not implemented until April 2024, after the conclusion of the 2023 audit. Furthermore, all the students involved in this year’s finding were enrolled before the corrective action plan was rolled out in April 2024. Contact Person: Stacy Broadus, Director of Student Financial Services: Stacy.Broadus@urbancollege.edu

Prior Finding References

2023-003

About Special Tests and Provisions →
2024-004
Special Tests & Provisions
MODIFIED OPINIONSIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCYQUESTIONED COSTS

Criteria According to 34 CFR 668.22(e)(4): Total amount of unearned title IV assistance to be returned. The unearned amount of title IV assistance to be returned is calculated by subtracting the amount of title IV assistance earned by the student as calculated under paragraph (e)(1) of this section from the amount of title IV aid that was disbursed to the student as of the date of the institution's determination that the student withdrew. Condition The Financial Aid Office is responsible for completing the Return of Title IV calculation to determine how much Title IV aid the student earned and how much must be returned to the Department of Education. Once the Return of Title IV calculation is completed, the College is responsible for adjusting the student’s billing statement and returning unearned Title IV funds through the U.S. Department of Education’s Grant Management System (“G5”). The College has 45 days from the date they determined the student withdrew to return any unearned portions of Title IV funds. During our testing, we noted 2 students, out of a sample of 10, where the aid returned was different than the amount correctly calculated on the Return to Title IV (“R2T4”) form. Cause The College did not ensure that the regulations were met in regard to refunding Title IV funds when calculating the amount of aid to be returned. Effect The College did not return the correct amount of Title IV funds to the Department of Education. Questioned Costs $16.18 Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the 10 students selected for testing, 2 students, or 20% of our sample, had the incorrect amount of Title IV funds returned. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable Not applicable Recommendation The College should review their current policies and procedures to ensure the amount of federal aid returned agrees with the amount calculated on the R2T4 form. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding and has implemented the corrective action plan listed within the management corrective action plan section of this report

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Criteria According to 34 CFR 668.22(e)(4): Total amount of unearned title IV assistance to be returned. The unearned amount of title IV assistance to be returned is calculated by subtracting the amount of title IV assistance earned by the student as calculated under paragraph (e)(1) of this section from the amount of title IV aid that was disbursed to the student as of the date of the institution's determination that the student withdrew. Condition The Financial Aid Office is responsible for completing the Return of Title IV calculation to determine how much Title IV aid the student earned and how much must be returned to the Department of Education. Once the Return of Title IV calculation is completed, the College is responsible for adjusting the student’s billing statement and returning unearned Title IV funds through the U.S. Department of Education’s Grant Management System (“G5”). The College has 45 days from the date they determined the student withdrew to return any unearned portions of Title IV funds. During our testing, we noted 2 students, out of a sample of 10, where the aid returned was different than the amount correctly calculated on the Return to Title IV (“R2T4”) form. Cause The College did not ensure that the regulations were met in regard to refunding Title IV funds when calculating the amount of aid to be returned. Effect The College did not return the correct amount of Title IV funds to the Department of Education. Questioned Costs $16.18 Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the 10 students selected for testing, 2 students, or 20% of our sample, had the incorrect amount of Title IV funds returned. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable Not applicable Recommendation The College should review their current policies and procedures to ensure the amount of federal aid returned agrees with the amount calculated on the R2T4 form. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding and has implemented the corrective action plan listed within the management corrective action plan section of this report

Corrective Action Plan

Corrective Action The Urban College of Boston (UCB) agrees with this finding, and upon its review of the affected student and the college’s policies and procedures, has determine the error was a result of an isolated event due to human error. This was an oversight on the part of the Director of Student Financial Services. When communicating with the Business Office on the amount of Pell funds to be returned for these students, the DSFS keyed in the wrong dollar amounts resulting in less funds being returned than should have been. Since this issue was discovered, our process has changed and to ensure the correct dollar amounts of returns are made, the DSFS receives an automated Refunds Due (ineligible disbursement) report each Monday morning and if students are listed based on R2T4 calculations, that report is then shared with our Business Office, so the exact dollars and funding sources are identified for returns. This prevents someone from needing to key in the amounts manually. The DSFS went back through all R2T4 packets to confirm that no other incorrect amounts were communicated so adjustments could be made if necessary. No other issues were found. Timeline for Implementation of Corrective Action Plan: Implementation of new processes effective April 1, 2024 Contact Person: Stacy Broadus, Director of Student Financial Services: Stacy.Broadus@urbancollege.edu

About Special Tests and Provisions →
2024-005
Special Tests & Provisions
MODIFIED OPINIONSIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCYREPEAT OF 2023-005

Criteria According to 34 CFR 668.22(j)(1): Timeframe for the return of title IV funds. An institution must return the amount of title IV funds for which it is responsible under paragraph (g) of this section as soon as possible but no later than 45 days after the date of the institution's determination that the student withdrew as defined in paragraph (l)(3) of this section. According to 34 CFR 668.173(b): Timely return of Title IV, HEA program funds. In accordance with procedures established by the Secretary or Federal Family Education Loan (“FFEL”) program lender, an institution returns unearned Title IV, HEA program funds timely if – (1) The institution deposits or transfers the funds into the bank account it maintains under 34 CFR Sections 668.163 no later than 45 days after the date it determines the student withdrew; (2) The institution initiates an electronic funds transfer no later than 45 days after the date it determines that the student withdrew; (3) The institution initiates an electronic transaction no later than 45 days after the date it determines that the student withdrew, that informs a FFEL lender to adjust the borrower’s loan account for the amount returned; or (4) The institution issues a check no later than 45 days after the date it determines that the student withdrew. An institution does not satisfy this requirement if – (i) The institution’s records show that the check was issued more than 45 days after the date the institution determined the student withdrew; or (ii) The date on the cancelled check shows that the bank used by the Secretary or FFEL Program lender endorsed that check more than 60 days after the date the institution determined that the student withdrew. Condition Federal regulations state that any unearned Title IV grant or loan assistance received by a student must be refunded to the Title IV programs upon a student’s withdrawal from the institution. The College has 45 days from the date they determined the student withdrew to return any unearned portions of Title IV funds. During our testing, we noted 5 students, out of a sample of 10, had unearned Title IV aid that was not returned to the Federal Government, within 45 days of the determined withdrawal date, by 99-235 days. Cause The College did not consistently follow the procedures in place to monitor student withdrawals related to Title IV funds that must be returned to the Department of Education within 45 days due to delay between student’s withdrawal date and the date in which return was moved to financing department. Effect The College did not return unearned Title IV funds within the required 45-day time frame. Questioned Costs Not applicable Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the 10 students selected for testing, 5 students, or 50% of our sample, had unearned Title IV funds that were not returned to the Department of Education within the 45-day required time frame. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable See finding 2023-005 included in the summary schedule of prior year findings. Recommendation The College should strengthen their controls surrounding the review Return of Title IV calculations in a timely manner to ensure that all funds are returned to the Department of Education within the required time frame. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding and has implemented the corrective action plan listed within the management corrective action plan section of this report.

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Criteria According to 34 CFR 668.22(j)(1): Timeframe for the return of title IV funds. An institution must return the amount of title IV funds for which it is responsible under paragraph (g) of this section as soon as possible but no later than 45 days after the date of the institution's determination that the student withdrew as defined in paragraph (l)(3) of this section. According to 34 CFR 668.173(b): Timely return of Title IV, HEA program funds. In accordance with procedures established by the Secretary or Federal Family Education Loan (“FFEL”) program lender, an institution returns unearned Title IV, HEA program funds timely if – (1) The institution deposits or transfers the funds into the bank account it maintains under 34 CFR Sections 668.163 no later than 45 days after the date it determines the student withdrew; (2) The institution initiates an electronic funds transfer no later than 45 days after the date it determines that the student withdrew; (3) The institution initiates an electronic transaction no later than 45 days after the date it determines that the student withdrew, that informs a FFEL lender to adjust the borrower’s loan account for the amount returned; or (4) The institution issues a check no later than 45 days after the date it determines that the student withdrew. An institution does not satisfy this requirement if – (i) The institution’s records show that the check was issued more than 45 days after the date the institution determined the student withdrew; or (ii) The date on the cancelled check shows that the bank used by the Secretary or FFEL Program lender endorsed that check more than 60 days after the date the institution determined that the student withdrew. Condition Federal regulations state that any unearned Title IV grant or loan assistance received by a student must be refunded to the Title IV programs upon a student’s withdrawal from the institution. The College has 45 days from the date they determined the student withdrew to return any unearned portions of Title IV funds. During our testing, we noted 5 students, out of a sample of 10, had unearned Title IV aid that was not returned to the Federal Government, within 45 days of the determined withdrawal date, by 99-235 days. Cause The College did not consistently follow the procedures in place to monitor student withdrawals related to Title IV funds that must be returned to the Department of Education within 45 days due to delay between student’s withdrawal date and the date in which return was moved to financing department. Effect The College did not return unearned Title IV funds within the required 45-day time frame. Questioned Costs Not applicable Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the 10 students selected for testing, 5 students, or 50% of our sample, had unearned Title IV funds that were not returned to the Department of Education within the 45-day required time frame. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable See finding 2023-005 included in the summary schedule of prior year findings. Recommendation The College should strengthen their controls surrounding the review Return of Title IV calculations in a timely manner to ensure that all funds are returned to the Department of Education within the required time frame. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding and has implemented the corrective action plan listed within the management corrective action plan section of this report.

Corrective Action Plan

Corrective Action The Urban College of Boston (UCB) agrees with this finding, and upon its review of the affected students and the college’s policies and procedures, has determine the errors are reflective of a knowledge gap in the established process for returning unearned funds for a withdrawn student. This was a process gap oversight. When Urban College of Boson (UCB) contracted with Global Financial Aid Services (Global FAS) effective for the 2023/2024 Award Year, the R2T4 return process is all done automated through a negative disbursement check register process. However, the funds that required Institutional Returns are a manual process and identified through a Refunds Due Report or as part of the students final Exit Packet Counseling documents. This report was missing as part of the workflow resulting in these students’ refunds being missed. The process has since been updated and the Director of Student Financial Services receives an automated Refunds Due Report (ineligible disbursement) every Monday. If there are students listed in the Refunds Due Report, this report is shared with the Business Office so funds can be returned based on amounts, funding type so they are processed timely. A secondary check point is also built into the process; If Urban has not returned the funds and 45 days from the students’ last date of attendance we will receive an automated notification from the Global Services system alerting us to the number of days we have left to make our returns. Since this issue was discovered the Director of Student Financial Services has gone back through all R2T4 student Exit Counseling packets to confirm that no other Institutional Returns were needed. No other issues were found. Timeline for Implementation of Corrective Action Plan: Although categorized as a repeat finding, Urban College considers this year’s issue an extension of the original finding from the 2023 audit period. This is because the corrective action plan addressing the initial finding was not implemented until April 2024, after the conclusion of the 2023 audit. Furthermore, all the students involved in this year’s finding were enrolled before the corrective action plan was rolled out in April 2024. Contact Person: Stacy Broadus, Director of Student Financial Services: Stacy.Broadus@urbancollege.edu

Prior Finding References

2023-005

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2024-006
Special Tests & Provisions
MATERIAL WEAKNESSMODIFIED OPINIONREPEAT OF 2023-007, 2023-008, 2023-009

Criteria According to 34 CFR 685.309(b)(2): Unless [the institution] it 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 2018: 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 5 students, out of a sample of 10, that had incorrect effective dates reported to NSLDS. We noted 5 students, out of a sample of 10, were not reported to NSLDS within the required timeframe, and 2 out of a sample of 10, that were not reported at all to NSLDS. 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. For unofficial withdrawals, an administrative withdrawal form is completed once determined by the College. As the College is an attendance-taking institution, the College should have reported the students’ last date of attendance as the effective date, but instead used the date that the College completed withdrawal form as the effective date. Effect The College did not report the students’ correct status changes 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 10 students selected for testing, 5 students, or 50% of our sample, had incorrect effective dates reported to NSLDS. We also noted 5 students, were not reported within required timeframe of 60 days and 2 students, were not reported at all to NSLDS. Such instances reflect 50% and 20% of our population, respective Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable See finding 2023-007, 2023-008, and 2023-009 included in the summary schedule of prior year findings. Recommendation The College should provide training to employees responsible for processing information for the NSLDS and ensure that they have adequate knowledge in the related rules and regulations. This training should include an explanation of the effective date of a student’s withdrawal, the importance of reporting the correct effective date and the consequences of incorrect reporting. Moreover, the College should emphasize the importance of distinguishing the last date of attendance (Activity Date) and completion date of Administrative Withdrawal Form (Date Completed). This oversight should also ensure that the effective date reported to NSLDS is consistent with the date the student separated from the College. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding and has implemented the corrective action plan listed within the management corrective action plan section of this report.

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Criteria According to 34 CFR 685.309(b)(2): Unless [the institution] it 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 2018: 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 5 students, out of a sample of 10, that had incorrect effective dates reported to NSLDS. We noted 5 students, out of a sample of 10, were not reported to NSLDS within the required timeframe, and 2 out of a sample of 10, that were not reported at all to NSLDS. 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. For unofficial withdrawals, an administrative withdrawal form is completed once determined by the College. As the College is an attendance-taking institution, the College should have reported the students’ last date of attendance as the effective date, but instead used the date that the College completed withdrawal form as the effective date. Effect The College did not report the students’ correct status changes 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 10 students selected for testing, 5 students, or 50% of our sample, had incorrect effective dates reported to NSLDS. We also noted 5 students, were not reported within required timeframe of 60 days and 2 students, were not reported at all to NSLDS. Such instances reflect 50% and 20% of our population, respective Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable See finding 2023-007, 2023-008, and 2023-009 included in the summary schedule of prior year findings. Recommendation The College should provide training to employees responsible for processing information for the NSLDS and ensure that they have adequate knowledge in the related rules and regulations. This training should include an explanation of the effective date of a student’s withdrawal, the importance of reporting the correct effective date and the consequences of incorrect reporting. Moreover, the College should emphasize the importance of distinguishing the last date of attendance (Activity Date) and completion date of Administrative Withdrawal Form (Date Completed). This oversight should also ensure that the effective date reported to NSLDS is consistent with the date the student separated from the College. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding and has implemented the corrective action plan listed within the management corrective action plan section of this report.

Corrective Action Plan

Corrective Action The Urban College of Boston (UCB) agrees with this finding, and upon its review of the affected students and the college’s policies and procedures, has determined the errors are reflective a deficiency in the submission of enrollment data to the Clearinghouse. In April 2024 after the 2023 audit, we identified there were issues with how our enrollment reporting was being submitted to the Clearinghouse. Unfortunately, these 2023-2024 findings occurred prior to the implementation of new process and timing of our Enrollment reporting since these results of the 2022-2023 audit. The Registrar updated their process to ensure the reporting date parameters are being reported correctly and that the last date of attendance is pulled into the fields needing to be reported to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) as the Effective Date. Enrollment reporting is being reported more frequently and is submitted at the start of each term, subsequently within the term, and at the end of the term to ensure reporting timelines are met and that the withdrawal date and effective date match for reporting purposes. Timeline for Implementation of Corrective Action Plan: Although categorized as a repeat finding, Urban College considers this year’s issue an extension of the original finding from the 2023 audit period. This is because the corrective action plan addressing the initial finding was not implemented until April 2024, after the conclusion of the 2023 audit. Furthermore, all the students involved in this year’s finding were enrolled before the corrective action plan was rolled out in April 2024. Contact Person: Waqas Mirza, Registrar: Waqas.Mirza@urbancollege.edu

Prior Finding References

2023-007, 2023-008, 2023-009

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FY 2023-06-30

LOW-RISK AUDITEE$1,320,655 federal awards expended

FAC accepted this audit on May 14, 2024 — management decision was due November 14, 2024.

2023-001
Cash Management
SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCYOTHER MATTERS

Criteria According to 34 CFR 668.164(h): Title IV, Higher Education Act (“HEA”) credit balances. (1) A title IV, HEA credit balance occurs whenever the amount of title IV, HEA program funds credited to a student's ledger account for a payment period exceeds the amount assessed the student for allowable charges associated with that payment period. (2) A title IV, HEA credit balance must be paid directly to the student or parent as soon as possible, but no later than – (i) No later than 14 days after the balance occurred if the balance occurred after the first day of class of a payment period; or (ii) No later than 14 days after the first day of class of a payment period if the credit balance occurred on or before the first day of that payment period. Condition The Federal Government requires that whenever Title IV aid is disbursed on a student’s account, the account must be reviewed to determine if the disbursement caused a credit balance. If the credit balance was caused by Title IV funds, the College must refund the balance directly to the student within 14 days of the disbursement of funds. During our testing, we noted 5 students, out of a sample of 40, that were not refunded credit balances within the required timeframe by 91-105 days. Cause The College failed to identify Title IV credit balances after federal aid was disbursed on the students’ accounts. Effect The College did not refund Title IV credit balances within the required 14-day time frame and therefore was not in compliance with federal requirements. Questioned Costs Not applicable Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the 40 students selected for testing, 34 students, or 85% of our sample, had credit balances caused by financial aid. Of these 34 students, 5 students’ credit balance caused by Title IV funds were not refunded within the required time frame (14.7% of students who had credit balances). Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable Not applicable Recommendation The Business Office should continue to develop their procedures to identify credit balances caused by changes on students’ accounts as well as disbursements. This includes reviewing accounts after late disbursement of Title IV aid as well as tuition and fee adjustments, health insurance waivers and bookstore credits. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding and has implemented the corrective action plan listed within the management corrective action plan section of this report.

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Criteria According to 34 CFR 668.164(h): Title IV, Higher Education Act (“HEA”) credit balances. (1) A title IV, HEA credit balance occurs whenever the amount of title IV, HEA program funds credited to a student's ledger account for a payment period exceeds the amount assessed the student for allowable charges associated with that payment period. (2) A title IV, HEA credit balance must be paid directly to the student or parent as soon as possible, but no later than – (i) No later than 14 days after the balance occurred if the balance occurred after the first day of class of a payment period; or (ii) No later than 14 days after the first day of class of a payment period if the credit balance occurred on or before the first day of that payment period. Condition The Federal Government requires that whenever Title IV aid is disbursed on a student’s account, the account must be reviewed to determine if the disbursement caused a credit balance. If the credit balance was caused by Title IV funds, the College must refund the balance directly to the student within 14 days of the disbursement of funds. During our testing, we noted 5 students, out of a sample of 40, that were not refunded credit balances within the required timeframe by 91-105 days. Cause The College failed to identify Title IV credit balances after federal aid was disbursed on the students’ accounts. Effect The College did not refund Title IV credit balances within the required 14-day time frame and therefore was not in compliance with federal requirements. Questioned Costs Not applicable Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the 40 students selected for testing, 34 students, or 85% of our sample, had credit balances caused by financial aid. Of these 34 students, 5 students’ credit balance caused by Title IV funds were not refunded within the required time frame (14.7% of students who had credit balances). Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable Not applicable Recommendation The Business Office should continue to develop their procedures to identify credit balances caused by changes on students’ accounts as well as disbursements. This includes reviewing accounts after late disbursement of Title IV aid as well as tuition and fee adjustments, health insurance waivers and bookstore credits. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding and has implemented the corrective action plan listed within the management corrective action plan section of this report.

Corrective Action Plan

Corrective Action Urban College of Boston (UCB) has contracted with Global Financial Aid Services (Global FAS) effective for the 2023/2024 Award Year. Global FAS provides UCB with a daily check register report of all student disbursements. Through the Disbursement process, UCB must first process all check registers, reconcile student billing, and identify and process student credit balances before funds can be drawn down from the Common Origination and Disbursement System (COD). The UCB Business Office commits to processing check registers within 7 business days and providing the Cash Monitoring report to Global FAS so funds can be released and deposited into the Federal Funds Account. This will ensure student refunds are processed within the 14-day federal regulation. Timeline for Implementation of Corrective Action Plan: The corrective action plan has been implemented as of September 2023. Contact Person: Stacy Broadus, Director of Financial Aid, stacy.broadus@urbancollege.edu

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2023-002
Special Tests & Provisions
SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCYOTHER MATTERS

Criteria According to 34 CFR 690.83(b) (1) An institution shall report to the Secretary any change for which a student qualifies including any related Payment Data changes by submitting to the Secretary the student’s Payment Data that discloses the basis and result of the change in award for each student. The institution shall submit the student’s Payment Data reporting any to the Secretary by the reporting deadlines published by the Secretary in the Federal Register. (2) An institution shall submit, in accordance with the deadline dates established by the Secretary, through publication in the Federal Register, other reports and information the Secretary requires and shall comply with the procedures the Secretary finds necessary to ensure that the reports are correct. According to the Federal Register (Volume 88, Number 120): An institution must submit Pell Grant, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant, Direct Loan, and TEACH Grant disbursement records to COD, no later than 15 days after making the disbursement or becoming aware of the need to adjust a previously reported disbursement. In accordance with 34 CFR 668.164(a), title IV, Higher Education Act (“HEA”) program funds are disbursed on the date that the institution: (a) Credits those funds to a student’s account in the institution’s general ledger or any subledger of the general ledger; or (b) pays those funds to a student directly. Title IV, HEA program funds are disbursed even if an institution uses its own funds in advance of receiving program funds from the Department. Condition Federal regulations require the College to report to the Federal Government’s Common Origination and Disbursement System (“COD”) disbursements made to students accurately based on date award was credited to student directly. During our testing, we noted 1 student, out of a sample of 40, was not reported accurately to Common Origination System based on disbursement date per College records. Cause The College has policies and procedures in place to report the disbursement records to the Department of Education through the COD are recorded accurately, however, in this case the procedures were not completed properly. Effect The College did not report Direct Loan disbursements to COD accurately based on College records. Questioned Costs Not applicable Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the 40 students selected for testing, 1 student, or 2.5% of our sample, had disbursement information not recorded Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable Not applicable Recommendation We recommend that management of the College review, and if necessary, update the policies and procedures to ensure all Direct Loan funds disbursed are reported accurately based on when awards were credited to student account. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding and has implemented the corrective action plan within the management corrective action plan section of this report.

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Criteria According to 34 CFR 690.83(b) (1) An institution shall report to the Secretary any change for which a student qualifies including any related Payment Data changes by submitting to the Secretary the student’s Payment Data that discloses the basis and result of the change in award for each student. The institution shall submit the student’s Payment Data reporting any to the Secretary by the reporting deadlines published by the Secretary in the Federal Register. (2) An institution shall submit, in accordance with the deadline dates established by the Secretary, through publication in the Federal Register, other reports and information the Secretary requires and shall comply with the procedures the Secretary finds necessary to ensure that the reports are correct. According to the Federal Register (Volume 88, Number 120): An institution must submit Pell Grant, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant, Direct Loan, and TEACH Grant disbursement records to COD, no later than 15 days after making the disbursement or becoming aware of the need to adjust a previously reported disbursement. In accordance with 34 CFR 668.164(a), title IV, Higher Education Act (“HEA”) program funds are disbursed on the date that the institution: (a) Credits those funds to a student’s account in the institution’s general ledger or any subledger of the general ledger; or (b) pays those funds to a student directly. Title IV, HEA program funds are disbursed even if an institution uses its own funds in advance of receiving program funds from the Department. Condition Federal regulations require the College to report to the Federal Government’s Common Origination and Disbursement System (“COD”) disbursements made to students accurately based on date award was credited to student directly. During our testing, we noted 1 student, out of a sample of 40, was not reported accurately to Common Origination System based on disbursement date per College records. Cause The College has policies and procedures in place to report the disbursement records to the Department of Education through the COD are recorded accurately, however, in this case the procedures were not completed properly. Effect The College did not report Direct Loan disbursements to COD accurately based on College records. Questioned Costs Not applicable Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the 40 students selected for testing, 1 student, or 2.5% of our sample, had disbursement information not recorded Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable Not applicable Recommendation We recommend that management of the College review, and if necessary, update the policies and procedures to ensure all Direct Loan funds disbursed are reported accurately based on when awards were credited to student account. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding and has implemented the corrective action plan within the management corrective action plan section of this report.

Corrective Action Plan

Corrective Action Plan Urban College of Boston (UCB) has contracted with Global Financial Aid Services (Global FAS) effective for the 2023/2024 Award Year. Global FAS provides UCB with a monthly reconciliation report through our shared Secured File Transfer Protocol site (SFTP)and notifies us when one is ready to be reviewed. Once the file is received, the Business Office will conduct a secondary reconciliation using the Global FAS report. The Business Office will review the students ledger/billing and compare information with COD to ensure all disbursement information matches according to regulation. The Director of Financial Aid will also conduct a quarterly internal review of Global FAS reports against COD reporting. Timeline for Implementation of Corrective Action Plan: This corrective action plan will be implemented by May 2024. Contact Person: Stacy Broadus, Director of Financial Aid, stacy.broadus@urbancollege.edu

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2023-003
Special Tests & Provisions
SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCYQUESTIONED COSTSOTHER MATTERS

Criteria According to 34 CFR 668.164(l): (1) Notwithstanding any State law (such as a law that allows funds to escheat to the State), an institution must return to the Secretary any title IV, Higher Education Act (“HEA”) program funds, except Federal Work Study (“FWS”) program funds, that it attempts to disburse directly to a student or parent that are not received by the student or parent. For FWS program funds, the institution is required to return only the Federal portion of the payroll disbursement. (2) If an EFT to a student's or parent's financial account is rejected, or a check to a student or parent is returned, the institution may make additional attempts to disburse the funds, provided that those attempts are made not later than 45 days after the EFT was rejected or the check returned. In cases where the institution does not make another attempt, the funds must be returned to the Secretary before the end of this 45-day period. (3) If a check sent to a student or parent is not returned to the institution but is not cashed, the institution must return the funds to the Secretary no later than 240 days after the date it issued the check. Condition Federal regulations require an institution to return unclaimed Title IV funds issued by check or EFT within 240 days. During our testing, we noted 4 students, out of a sample of 6, that had unclaimed funds exceeding the federal day limit by 42-498 days. Cause The College did not monitor the outstanding check aging to ensure that the 240-day timeframe was met. Effect The College did not return Title IV unclaimed funds to the Department of Education within the required 240-day time frame. Questioned Costs There were 4 outstanding checks totaling $168, which pertained specifically to federal-sourced funds. Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the 6 students selected for testing, 4 students, or 66.67% of our sample, had unclaimed funds pertaining to federal sources that were not returned to the Department of Education within the 240-day required time frame. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable Not applicable Recommendation The College should examine its policies and procedures related to unclaimed funds including the process and time frame for identifying aged balances and the process for cancelling checks and returning funds to the Department of Education. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding and has implemented the corrective action plan listed within the management corrective action plan section of this report.

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Criteria According to 34 CFR 668.164(l): (1) Notwithstanding any State law (such as a law that allows funds to escheat to the State), an institution must return to the Secretary any title IV, Higher Education Act (“HEA”) program funds, except Federal Work Study (“FWS”) program funds, that it attempts to disburse directly to a student or parent that are not received by the student or parent. For FWS program funds, the institution is required to return only the Federal portion of the payroll disbursement. (2) If an EFT to a student's or parent's financial account is rejected, or a check to a student or parent is returned, the institution may make additional attempts to disburse the funds, provided that those attempts are made not later than 45 days after the EFT was rejected or the check returned. In cases where the institution does not make another attempt, the funds must be returned to the Secretary before the end of this 45-day period. (3) If a check sent to a student or parent is not returned to the institution but is not cashed, the institution must return the funds to the Secretary no later than 240 days after the date it issued the check. Condition Federal regulations require an institution to return unclaimed Title IV funds issued by check or EFT within 240 days. During our testing, we noted 4 students, out of a sample of 6, that had unclaimed funds exceeding the federal day limit by 42-498 days. Cause The College did not monitor the outstanding check aging to ensure that the 240-day timeframe was met. Effect The College did not return Title IV unclaimed funds to the Department of Education within the required 240-day time frame. Questioned Costs There were 4 outstanding checks totaling $168, which pertained specifically to federal-sourced funds. Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the 6 students selected for testing, 4 students, or 66.67% of our sample, had unclaimed funds pertaining to federal sources that were not returned to the Department of Education within the 240-day required time frame. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable Not applicable Recommendation The College should examine its policies and procedures related to unclaimed funds including the process and time frame for identifying aged balances and the process for cancelling checks and returning funds to the Department of Education. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding and has implemented the corrective action plan listed within the management corrective action plan section of this report.

Corrective Action Plan

Corrective Action Plan: The Business Office will review uncashed checks every 30 days as part of the ledger/billing reconciliation process to ensure these are addressed prior to the 240-day regulation. This process is being updated in the Business Office Cash Management operating procedure. The Business Office and the Director of Financial Aid will review monthly any uncashed checks to ensure that UCB is meeting the required timeline. Timeline for Implementation of Corrective Action Plan: This corrective action plan will be implemented by May 2024. Contact Person: Karen Lucas, Manager of Business Office, karen.lucas@urbancollege.edu

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2023-004
Special Tests & Provisions
SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCYQUESTIONED COSTSOTHER MATTERS

Criteria According to 34 CFR 668.22(f)(2): (i) The total number of calendar days in a payment period or period of enrollment includes all days within the period that the student was scheduled to complete, except that scheduled breaks of at least five consecutive days are excluded from the total number of calendar days in a payment period or period of enrollment and the number of calendar days completed in that period. (ii) The total number of calendar days in a payment period or period of enrollment does not include – (A) Days in which the student was on an approved leave of absence; or (B) For a payment period or period of enrollment in which any courses in the program are offered in modules, any scheduled breaks of at least five consecutive days when the student is not scheduled to attend a module or other course offered during that period of time. Condition The Federal Government requires that when the student withdraws from all classes, the College calculate the student’s percentage of Title IV aid earned. This is calculated by dividing the number of days the student attended classes by the total number of days in the academic period. The total number of days in the academic period (semester) includes all calendar days between the start and end of academic activities. During our testing, we noted 5 students, out of a sample of 6, where the incorrect number of total days in the Fall and Spring semester were used to calculate the students’ percentage of Title IV earned. Cause The College has policies and procedures to ensure compliance for calculating the Title IV funds to be returned. In this instance, the College incorrectly calculated the enrollment period because the College’s calculation excluded the last day in which classes were held in its calculation of period of enrollment. Effect The College calculated the Return to Title IV (“R2T4”) forms incorrectly and returned an excess amount of Title IV funds to the Department of Education. Questioned Costs $23 Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the 6 students selected for testing, 5 students, or 83.33% of our sample, had refunds that were calculated using an incorrect number of total days in the payment period. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable Not applicable Recommendation The College should provide training to employees responsible for completing the Return of Title IV calculations and ensure that they have adequate knowledge in the related rules and regulations. The College needs to implement a formal review process of the Return of Title IV calculations by an individual with proper knowledge of the federal regulations. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding and has implemented the corrective action plan listed within the management corrective action plan section of this report.

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Criteria According to 34 CFR 668.22(f)(2): (i) The total number of calendar days in a payment period or period of enrollment includes all days within the period that the student was scheduled to complete, except that scheduled breaks of at least five consecutive days are excluded from the total number of calendar days in a payment period or period of enrollment and the number of calendar days completed in that period. (ii) The total number of calendar days in a payment period or period of enrollment does not include – (A) Days in which the student was on an approved leave of absence; or (B) For a payment period or period of enrollment in which any courses in the program are offered in modules, any scheduled breaks of at least five consecutive days when the student is not scheduled to attend a module or other course offered during that period of time. Condition The Federal Government requires that when the student withdraws from all classes, the College calculate the student’s percentage of Title IV aid earned. This is calculated by dividing the number of days the student attended classes by the total number of days in the academic period. The total number of days in the academic period (semester) includes all calendar days between the start and end of academic activities. During our testing, we noted 5 students, out of a sample of 6, where the incorrect number of total days in the Fall and Spring semester were used to calculate the students’ percentage of Title IV earned. Cause The College has policies and procedures to ensure compliance for calculating the Title IV funds to be returned. In this instance, the College incorrectly calculated the enrollment period because the College’s calculation excluded the last day in which classes were held in its calculation of period of enrollment. Effect The College calculated the Return to Title IV (“R2T4”) forms incorrectly and returned an excess amount of Title IV funds to the Department of Education. Questioned Costs $23 Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the 6 students selected for testing, 5 students, or 83.33% of our sample, had refunds that were calculated using an incorrect number of total days in the payment period. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable Not applicable Recommendation The College should provide training to employees responsible for completing the Return of Title IV calculations and ensure that they have adequate knowledge in the related rules and regulations. The College needs to implement a formal review process of the Return of Title IV calculations by an individual with proper knowledge of the federal regulations. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding and has implemented the corrective action plan listed within the management corrective action plan section of this report.

Corrective Action Plan

Corrective Action Plan: Urban College of Boston (UCB) has contracted with Global Financial Aid Services (Global FAS) effective for the 2023/2024 Award Year. In addition, Urban College has hired a new Director of Financial Aid who started on January 1, 2024 who is familiar with the rules around calculating R2T4s. Going forward, Global FAS will be processing all Exits and Return to Title IV (R2T4) calculations as of the Fall semester of the 2023/2024 award year. The Director of Financial Aid at UCB has confirmed with Global FAS that our school profile is accurately, and the number of days being used in the R2T4 calculation is accurate based on the current Academic Calendar. Timeline for Implementation of Corrective Action Plan: The corrective action plan has been implemented as of September 2023. Contact Person: Stacy Broadus, Director of Financial Aid, stacy.broadus@urbancollege.edu

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2023-005
Special Tests & Provisions
SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCYOTHER MATTERS

Criteria According to 34 CFR 668.22(j)(1): Timeframe for the return of title IV funds. An institution must return the amount of title IV funds for which it is responsible under paragraph (g) of this section as soon as possible but no later than 45 days after the date of the institution's determination that the student withdrew as defined in paragraph (l)(3) of this section. According to 34 CFR 668.173(b): Timely return of Title IV, HEA program funds. In accordance with procedures established by the Secretary or Federal Family Education Loan (“FFEL”) program lender, an institution returns unearned Title IV, HEA program funds timely if – (1) The institution deposits or transfers the funds into the bank account it maintains under 34 CFR Sections 668.163 no later than 45 days after the date it determines the student withdrew; (2) The institution initiates an electronic funds transfer no later than 45 days after the date it determines that the student withdrew; (3) The institution initiates an electronic transaction no later than 45 days after the date it determines that the student withdrew, that informs a FFEL lender to adjust the borrower’s loan account for the amount returned; or (4) The institution issues a check no later than 45 days after the date it determines that the student withdrew. An institution does not satisfy this requirement if – (i) The institution’s records show that the check was issued more than 45 days after the date the institution determined the student withdrew; or (ii) The date on the cancelled check shows that the bank used by the Secretary or FFEL Program lender endorsed that check more than 60 days after the date the institution determined that the student withdrew. Condition Federal regulations state that any unearned Title IV grant or loan assistance received by a student must be refunded to the Title IV programs upon a student’s withdrawal from the institution. The College has 45 days from the date they determined the student withdrew to return any unearned portions of Title IV funds. During our testing, we noted 1 student, out of a sample of 6, had unearned Title IV aid that was not returned to the Federal Government, within 45 days of the determined withdrawal date, by 7 days. Cause The College did not consistently follow the procedures in place to monitor student withdrawals related to Title IV funds that must be returned to the Department of Education within 45 days due to delay between student’s withdrawal date and the date in which return was moved to financing department. Effect The College did not return unearned Title IV funds within the required 45-day time frame. Questioned Costs Not applicable Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the 6 students selected for testing, 1 students, or 16.67% of our sample, had unearned Title IV funds that were not returned to the Department of Education within the 45-day required time frame. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable Not applicable Recommendation The College should strengthen their controls surrounding the review Return of Title IV calculations in a timely manner to ensure that all funds are returned to the Department of Education within the required time frame. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding and has implemented the corrective action plan listed within the management corrective action plan section of this report.

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Criteria According to 34 CFR 668.22(j)(1): Timeframe for the return of title IV funds. An institution must return the amount of title IV funds for which it is responsible under paragraph (g) of this section as soon as possible but no later than 45 days after the date of the institution's determination that the student withdrew as defined in paragraph (l)(3) of this section. According to 34 CFR 668.173(b): Timely return of Title IV, HEA program funds. In accordance with procedures established by the Secretary or Federal Family Education Loan (“FFEL”) program lender, an institution returns unearned Title IV, HEA program funds timely if – (1) The institution deposits or transfers the funds into the bank account it maintains under 34 CFR Sections 668.163 no later than 45 days after the date it determines the student withdrew; (2) The institution initiates an electronic funds transfer no later than 45 days after the date it determines that the student withdrew; (3) The institution initiates an electronic transaction no later than 45 days after the date it determines that the student withdrew, that informs a FFEL lender to adjust the borrower’s loan account for the amount returned; or (4) The institution issues a check no later than 45 days after the date it determines that the student withdrew. An institution does not satisfy this requirement if – (i) The institution’s records show that the check was issued more than 45 days after the date the institution determined the student withdrew; or (ii) The date on the cancelled check shows that the bank used by the Secretary or FFEL Program lender endorsed that check more than 60 days after the date the institution determined that the student withdrew. Condition Federal regulations state that any unearned Title IV grant or loan assistance received by a student must be refunded to the Title IV programs upon a student’s withdrawal from the institution. The College has 45 days from the date they determined the student withdrew to return any unearned portions of Title IV funds. During our testing, we noted 1 student, out of a sample of 6, had unearned Title IV aid that was not returned to the Federal Government, within 45 days of the determined withdrawal date, by 7 days. Cause The College did not consistently follow the procedures in place to monitor student withdrawals related to Title IV funds that must be returned to the Department of Education within 45 days due to delay between student’s withdrawal date and the date in which return was moved to financing department. Effect The College did not return unearned Title IV funds within the required 45-day time frame. Questioned Costs Not applicable Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the 6 students selected for testing, 1 students, or 16.67% of our sample, had unearned Title IV funds that were not returned to the Department of Education within the 45-day required time frame. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable Not applicable Recommendation The College should strengthen their controls surrounding the review Return of Title IV calculations in a timely manner to ensure that all funds are returned to the Department of Education within the required time frame. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding and has implemented the corrective action plan listed within the management corrective action plan section of this report.

Corrective Action Plan

Corrective Action Urban College of Boston (UCB) has contracted with Global Financial Aid Services (Global FAS) effective for the 2023/2024 Award Year. As part of the Global FAS process, any unearned Return to Title IV funding is processed through a negative disbursement check register. The Business Office will receive the calculated unearned portion of Title IV funding and post as a negative disbursement onto the student’s ledger/billing. The negative disbursement is auto processed through Global FAS back to COD. The Director of Financial Aid and Manager of the Business Office will review monthly to ensure all returns have been completed. Timeline for Implementation of Corrective Action Plan: This corrective action plan will be implemented by May 2024. Contact Person: Stacy Broadus, Director of Financial Aid, stacy.broadus@urbancollege.edu

About Special Tests and Provisions →
2023-006
Special Tests & Provisions
SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCYOTHER MATTERS

Criteria According to 34 CFR 685.309(b)(2): Unless [the institution] it 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 2018: 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 2 students, out of a sample of 40, that had incorrect status changes reported to NSLDS. Cause The College has policies and procedures to ensure compliance for calculating the Title IV funds to be returned. In this instance, the College reported an incorrect status because the respective students were graduated from the Early Childhood Education Certificate Program, which was listed in the minor section within their system and was not included as part of the Clearinghouse reporting. Effect The College did not report the students’ correct status changes to NSLDS, which may impact 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 40 students selected for testing, 2 students, or 5% of our sample, had incorrect status changes 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, the importance of reporting the correct status changes 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 and has implemented the corrective action plan listed within the management corrective action plan section of this report

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Criteria According to 34 CFR 685.309(b)(2): Unless [the institution] it 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 2018: 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 2 students, out of a sample of 40, that had incorrect status changes reported to NSLDS. Cause The College has policies and procedures to ensure compliance for calculating the Title IV funds to be returned. In this instance, the College reported an incorrect status because the respective students were graduated from the Early Childhood Education Certificate Program, which was listed in the minor section within their system and was not included as part of the Clearinghouse reporting. Effect The College did not report the students’ correct status changes to NSLDS, which may impact 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 40 students selected for testing, 2 students, or 5% of our sample, had incorrect status changes 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, the importance of reporting the correct status changes 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 and has implemented the corrective action plan listed within the management corrective action plan section of this report

Corrective Action Plan

Corrective Action The Office of the Registrar is aware that two separate reports need to be extracted from the Student Information System (SIS) to capture both withdrawal and graduation dates, so both are being reported in a timely manner. National Student Clearinghouse reporting date parameters are also being updated so the last date of attendance is pulled into the fields needing to be reported to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) as the Effective Date. Enrollment reporting will be reviewed and submitted at the start of each term, subsequently within the term, and at the end of the term to ensure reporting timelines are met and that the withdrawal date and effective date match for reporting purposes. Timeline for Implementation of Corrective Action Plan: This corrective action plan was implemented in April 2024. Contact Person: Waqas Mirza, Registrar, waqas.mirza@urbancollege.edu

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2023-007
Special Tests & Provisions
SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCYOTHER MATTERS

Criteria According to 34 CFR 685.309(b)(2): Unless [the institution] it 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 2018: 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 11 students, out of a sample of 40, that had incorrect effective dates reported to NSLDS. 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. For unofficial withdrawals, an administrative withdrawal form is completed once determined by the College. As the College is an attendance-taking institution, the College should have reported the students’ last date of attendance as the effective date, but instead used the date that the College completed withdrawal form as the effective date. Effect The College did not report the students’ correct effective dates to NSLDS, which may impact the students’ loan grace periods. Questioned Costs Not applicable Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the 40 students selected for testing, 11 students, or 27.5% of our sample, had incorrect effective dates 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 in the related rules and regulations. This training should include an explanation of the effective date of a student’s withdrawal, the importance of reporting the correct effective date and the consequences of incorrect reporting. Moreover, the College should emphasize the importance of distinguishing the last date of attendance (Activity Date) and completion date of Administrative Withdrawal Form (Date Completed). This oversight should also ensure that the effective date reported to NSLDS is consistent with the date the student separated from the College. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding and has implemented the corrective action plan listed within the management corrective action plan section of this report.

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Criteria According to 34 CFR 685.309(b)(2): Unless [the institution] it 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 2018: 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 11 students, out of a sample of 40, that had incorrect effective dates reported to NSLDS. 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. For unofficial withdrawals, an administrative withdrawal form is completed once determined by the College. As the College is an attendance-taking institution, the College should have reported the students’ last date of attendance as the effective date, but instead used the date that the College completed withdrawal form as the effective date. Effect The College did not report the students’ correct effective dates to NSLDS, which may impact the students’ loan grace periods. Questioned Costs Not applicable Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the 40 students selected for testing, 11 students, or 27.5% of our sample, had incorrect effective dates 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 in the related rules and regulations. This training should include an explanation of the effective date of a student’s withdrawal, the importance of reporting the correct effective date and the consequences of incorrect reporting. Moreover, the College should emphasize the importance of distinguishing the last date of attendance (Activity Date) and completion date of Administrative Withdrawal Form (Date Completed). This oversight should also ensure that the effective date reported to NSLDS is consistent with the date the student separated from the College. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding and has implemented the corrective action plan listed within the management corrective action plan section of this report.

Corrective Action Plan

Corrective Action The Office of the Registrar is aware that two separate reports need to be extracted from the Student Information System (SIS) to capture both withdrawal and graduation dates, so both are being reported in a timely manner. National Student Clearinghouse reporting date parameters are also being updated so the last date of attendance is pulled into the fields needing to be reported to NSLDS as the Effective Date. Enrollment reporting will be reviewed and submitted at the start of each term, subsequently within the term, and at the end of the term to ensure reporting timelines are met and that the withdrawal date and effective date match for reporting purposes. Timeline for Implementation of Corrective Action Plan: This corrective action plan was implemented in April 2024. Contact Person: Waqas Mirza, Registrar, waqas.mirza@urbancollege.edu

About Special Tests and Provisions →
2023-008
Special Tests & Provisions
SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCYOTHER MATTERS

Criteria According to 34 CFR 685.309(b)(2): Unless [the institution] it 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 2018: 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 13 students, out of a sample of 40, were not reported to NSLDS within the required timeframe. Cause The College did not have adequate procedures in place to ensure that students with status changes were reported to NSLDS within the required timeframe. Effect The College did not report the students’ status changes to NSLDS within the required timeframe, which may impact the students’ loan grace periods.. Questioned Costs Not applicable Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the 40 students selected for testing, 13 students, or 32.50% of our sample, had status changes that were not reported to NSLDS within the required timeframe by 109-118 days. 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 in the related rules and regulations. This training should include an explanation of the College’s date of determination of withdrawal, the importance of reporting the timely and the consequences of late reporting. Additionally, submission of additional rosters may reduce the likelihood of the finding in the future. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding and has implemented the corrective action plan listed within the management corrective action plan section of this report.

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Criteria According to 34 CFR 685.309(b)(2): Unless [the institution] it 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 2018: 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 13 students, out of a sample of 40, were not reported to NSLDS within the required timeframe. Cause The College did not have adequate procedures in place to ensure that students with status changes were reported to NSLDS within the required timeframe. Effect The College did not report the students’ status changes to NSLDS within the required timeframe, which may impact the students’ loan grace periods.. Questioned Costs Not applicable Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the 40 students selected for testing, 13 students, or 32.50% of our sample, had status changes that were not reported to NSLDS within the required timeframe by 109-118 days. 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 in the related rules and regulations. This training should include an explanation of the College’s date of determination of withdrawal, the importance of reporting the timely and the consequences of late reporting. Additionally, submission of additional rosters may reduce the likelihood of the finding in the future. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding and has implemented the corrective action plan listed within the management corrective action plan section of this report.

Corrective Action Plan

Corrective Action The Office of the Registrar is aware that two separate reports need to be extracted from the Student Information System (SIS) to capture both withdrawal and graduation dates, so both are being reported in a timely manner. National Student Clearinghouse reporting date parameters are also being updated so the last date of attendance is pulled into the fields needing to be reported to NSLDS as the Effective Date. Enrollment reporting will be reviewed and submitted at the start of each term, subsequently within the term, and at the end of the term to ensure reporting timelines are met and that the withdrawal date and effective date match for reporting purposes. Timeline for Implementation of Corrective Action Plan: This corrective action plan was implemented in April 2024. Contact Person: Waqas Mirza, Registrar, waqas.mirza@urbancollege.edu

About Special Tests and Provisions →
2023-009
Special Tests & Provisions
SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCYOTHER MATTERS

Criteria According to 34 CFR 685.309(b)(2): Unless [the institution] it 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 2018: 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 2 students, out of a sample of 40, that were not reported to NSLDS. Cause The College did not have adequate procedures in place to ensure that status changes were properly reported to NSLDS. Effect The College did not report the students’ correct status changes 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 40 students selected for testing, 2 students, or 5% of our sample, were not 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 in the related rules and regulations. This training should include an explanation of the status changes, the importance of reporting the correct status changes and the consequences of incorrect reporting. Additionally, the College should implement reconciliation and review procedures between enrollment records and NSLDS to ensure that information is properly maintained. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding and has implemented the corrective action plan listed within the management corrective action plan section of this report.

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Criteria According to 34 CFR 685.309(b)(2): Unless [the institution] it 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 2018: 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 2 students, out of a sample of 40, that were not reported to NSLDS. Cause The College did not have adequate procedures in place to ensure that status changes were properly reported to NSLDS. Effect The College did not report the students’ correct status changes 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 40 students selected for testing, 2 students, or 5% of our sample, were not 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 in the related rules and regulations. This training should include an explanation of the status changes, the importance of reporting the correct status changes and the consequences of incorrect reporting. Additionally, the College should implement reconciliation and review procedures between enrollment records and NSLDS to ensure that information is properly maintained. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding and has implemented the corrective action plan listed within the management corrective action plan section of this report.

Corrective Action Plan

Corrective Action The Office of the Registrar is aware that two separate reports need to be extracted from the Student Information System (SIS) to capture both withdrawal and graduation dates, so both are being reported in a timely manner. National Student Clearinghouse reporting date parameters are also being updated so the last date of attendance is pulled into the fields needing to be reported to NSLDS as the Effective Date. Enrollment reporting will be reviewed and submitted at the start of each term, subsequently within the term, and at the end of the term to ensure reporting timelines are met and that the withdrawal date and effective date match for reporting purposes. Timeline for Implementation of Corrective Action Plan: This corrective action plan was implemented in April 2024. Contact Person: Waqas Mirza, Registrar, waqas.mirza@urbancollege.edu

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FY 2022-08-31

LOW-RISK AUDITEE$3,977,629 federal awards expendedNo findings recorded this year

FAC accepted this audit on February 8, 2023 — management decision was due August 8, 2023.

FY 2021-08-31

LOW-RISK AUDITEE$4,773,957 federal awards expendedNo findings recorded this year

FAC accepted this audit on May 26, 2022 — management decision was due November 26, 2022.

FY 2020-08-31

LOW-RISK AUDITEE$2,222,323 federal awards expended

FAC accepted this audit on November 23, 2021 — management decision was due May 23, 2022.

2020-001
Special Tests & Provisions
SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCY

Finding number: 2020-001 Federal agency: U.S. Department of Education Programs: Student Financial Assistance Cluster CFDA #: 84.063 & 84.007 Award year: 2020 Criteria According to 34 CFR 690.83(b): (1) An institution shall report to the Secretary any change for which a student qualifies including any related Payment Data changes by submitting to the Secretary the student?s Payment Data that discloses the basis and result of the change in award for each student. The institution shall submit the student?s Payment Data reporting any to the Secretary by the reporting deadlines published by the Secretary in the Federal Register. (2) An institution shall submit, in accordance with the deadline dates established by the Secretary, through publication in the Federal Register, other reports and information the Secretary requires and shall comply with the procedures the Secretary finds necessary to ensure that the reports are correct. According to the Federal Register (Volume 83, Number 233): An institution must submit Pell Grant, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant, Direct Loan, and TEACH Grant disbursement records to COD, no later than 15 days after making the disbursement or becoming aware of the need to adjust a previously reported disbursement. In accordance with 34 CFR 668.164(a), Title IV, Higher Education Act (?HEA?) program funds are disbursed on the date that the institution: (a) Credits those funds to a student?s account in the institution?s general ledger or any subledger of the general ledger; or (b) pays those funds to a student directly. Title IV, HEA program funds are disbursed even if an institution uses its own funds in advance of receiving program funds from the Department. Condition Federal regulations require the College to report to the Federal Government?s Common Origination and Disbursement System (?COD?) Federal Pell Grant disbursements made to students within 15 days of the funds being disbursed to the student. During our testing, we noted five students, out of a sample of forty, were not reported within the required timeframe by three days. Cause The College has policies and procedures in place to report the disbursement records to the Department of Education through the COD system within the required fifteen calendar days; however, in this case the procedures were not completed properly. Effect The College did not report Pell Grant disbursements to COD within the required time frame. 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 12.5% of our sample, were determined to be reported late to the COD by three days. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable Not applicable Recommendation We recommend that management of the College review, and if necessary, update the policies and procedures to ensure all Pell Grant funds are reported within the required timeframe. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding.

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Finding number: 2020-001 Federal agency: U.S. Department of Education Programs: Student Financial Assistance Cluster CFDA #: 84.063 & 84.007 Award year: 2020 Criteria According to 34 CFR 690.83(b): (1) An institution shall report to the Secretary any change for which a student qualifies including any related Payment Data changes by submitting to the Secretary the student?s Payment Data that discloses the basis and result of the change in award for each student. The institution shall submit the student?s Payment Data reporting any to the Secretary by the reporting deadlines published by the Secretary in the Federal Register. (2) An institution shall submit, in accordance with the deadline dates established by the Secretary, through publication in the Federal Register, other reports and information the Secretary requires and shall comply with the procedures the Secretary finds necessary to ensure that the reports are correct. According to the Federal Register (Volume 83, Number 233): An institution must submit Pell Grant, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant, Direct Loan, and TEACH Grant disbursement records to COD, no later than 15 days after making the disbursement or becoming aware of the need to adjust a previously reported disbursement. In accordance with 34 CFR 668.164(a), Title IV, Higher Education Act (?HEA?) program funds are disbursed on the date that the institution: (a) Credits those funds to a student?s account in the institution?s general ledger or any subledger of the general ledger; or (b) pays those funds to a student directly. Title IV, HEA program funds are disbursed even if an institution uses its own funds in advance of receiving program funds from the Department. Condition Federal regulations require the College to report to the Federal Government?s Common Origination and Disbursement System (?COD?) Federal Pell Grant disbursements made to students within 15 days of the funds being disbursed to the student. During our testing, we noted five students, out of a sample of forty, were not reported within the required timeframe by three days. Cause The College has policies and procedures in place to report the disbursement records to the Department of Education through the COD system within the required fifteen calendar days; however, in this case the procedures were not completed properly. Effect The College did not report Pell Grant disbursements to COD within the required time frame. 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 12.5% of our sample, were determined to be reported late to the COD by three days. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable Not applicable Recommendation We recommend that management of the College review, and if necessary, update the policies and procedures to ensure all Pell Grant funds are reported within the required timeframe. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding.

Corrective Action Plan

Finding number: 2020-001 Federal agency: U.S. Department of Education Programs: Student Financial Assistance Cluster CFDA #: 84.063 & 84.007 Award year: 2020 Condition Federal regulations require the College to report to the Federal Government?s Common Origination and Disbursement System (?COD?) Federal Pell Grant disbursements made to students within 15 days of the funds being disbursed to the student. During our testing, we noted five students, out of a sample of forty, were not reported within the required timeframe by three days. Cause The College has policies and procedures in place to report the disbursement records to the Department of Education through the COD system within the required fifteen calendar days; however, in this case the procedures were not completed properly. Effect The College did not report Pell Grant disbursements to COD within the required time frame. Corrective Action Plan Urban College of Boston (UCB) reviewed the five students who were listed as reported to COD more than 15 days after disbursement. These students were part of a group of students in a batch that was ?stuck? in processing in ED Express. UCB worked with COD to get each student affected in that batch released and processed. UCB no longer uses ED Express to submit Pell data to COD. The information is entered directly into COD by the Financial Aid department. A batch is then created with this information and posted to student accounts in SONIS (Urban College of Boston?s Student Information System) within the 15-day timeframe. Timeline for Implementation of Corrective Action Plan: UCB began using this direct method with COD in the 2020-2021 funding year. Contact Person David Vera, Urban College of Boston, Manager of Financial Aid, david.vera@urbancollege.edu

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2020-002
Special Tests & Provisions
SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCY

Finding number: 2020-002 Federal agency: U.S. Department of Education Programs: Student Financial Assistance Cluster CFDA #?s: 84.063 & 84.007 Award year: 2020 Criteria According to Common Origination and Disbursement ("COD") 2019 - 2020 Technical Reference: The COD disbursement date is the date the money was credited to the student's account or paid to the student directly for a specific disbursement. Condition The Federal Government requires that the disbursement date reported to the COD match the date the funds were credited to the student's account. During our testing, we noted three students, out of a sample of forty, that the date the funds were credited to the student's account did not match the disbursement date reported to COD. Cause The College had different software for recording information and there were no procedures to ensure the disbursement date per the student account statement matched the disbursement date reported to COD. Effect The College did not report the correct disbursement dates to COD. Questioned Costs Not applicable. Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the forty students selected for testing, three students, or 7.5% of our sample, did not report the correct disbursement date to COD by a range 10-21 days. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable Not applicable. Recommendation The College should have procedures to ensure that COD disbursement information matches the College's records. Views of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding.

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Finding number: 2020-002 Federal agency: U.S. Department of Education Programs: Student Financial Assistance Cluster CFDA #?s: 84.063 & 84.007 Award year: 2020 Criteria According to Common Origination and Disbursement ("COD") 2019 - 2020 Technical Reference: The COD disbursement date is the date the money was credited to the student's account or paid to the student directly for a specific disbursement. Condition The Federal Government requires that the disbursement date reported to the COD match the date the funds were credited to the student's account. During our testing, we noted three students, out of a sample of forty, that the date the funds were credited to the student's account did not match the disbursement date reported to COD. Cause The College had different software for recording information and there were no procedures to ensure the disbursement date per the student account statement matched the disbursement date reported to COD. Effect The College did not report the correct disbursement dates to COD. Questioned Costs Not applicable. Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the forty students selected for testing, three students, or 7.5% of our sample, did not report the correct disbursement date to COD by a range 10-21 days. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable Not applicable. Recommendation The College should have procedures to ensure that COD disbursement information matches the College's records. Views of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding.

Corrective Action Plan

Finding number: 2020-002 Federal agency: U.S. Department of Education Programs: Student Financial Aid Cluster CFDA #?s: 84.063 & 84.007 Award year: 2020 Condition The Federal Government requires that the disbursement date reported to the COD match the date the funds were credited to the student's account. During our testing, we noted three students, out of a sample of forty, that the date the funds were credited to the student's account did not match the disbursement date reported to COD. Cause The College had different software information and there were no procedures to ensure the disbursement date per the student account statement matched the disbursement date reported to COD. Effect The College did not report the correct disbursement dates to COD. Corrective Action Plan: Urban College of Boston (UCB) reviewed the finding information to determine where the breakdown existed in the process of reporting the Pell disbursements to COD and in SONIS with the same disbursement date. UCB no longer uses ED Express to submit Pell data to COD. The information is entered directly into COD by the Financial Aid department. A batch is then created with this information and posted to student accounts in SONIS (Urban College of Boston?s Student Information System) within the 15-day timeframe. This batch is reconciled to COD for dates and amounts prior to it being released to student accounts for actual posting to SONIS. This process will identify any dates that are different in COD and on the batch sheet, so that UCB Financial Aid staff are able to correct the date discrepancies. Timeline for Implementation of Corrective Action Plan: UCB began using this direct method with COD in the 2020-2021 funding year. Contact Person David Vera, Urban College of Boston, Manager of Financial Aid, david.vera@urbancollege.edu

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2020-003
Special Tests & Provisions
SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCYREPEAT OF 2019-001

Finding number: 2020-003 Federal agency: U.S. Department of Education Programs: Student Financial Assistance Cluster CFDA #: 84.063 & 84.007 Award year: 2020 Criteria According to 34 CFR 685.309(b)(2): Unless [the institution] it 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 August 2020: 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 three students, out of a sample of eleven, with enrollment status changes, one student that had incorrect effective dates reported, while two students had incorrect effective dates and were reported late to NSLDS. Cause The College reports student enrollment status changes to the NSLDS through the National Student Clearinghouse ("NSC"), a third-party contractor, and is responsible for ensuring that student enrollment status changes are reported to NSLDS in a timely and accurate manner. It is the responsibility of the Registrar to submit the enrollment status changes to NSC and to ensure that controls are in place to timely submit updates once the Registrar's office receives a student status change. The Registrar's office did not report the student enrollment status changes timely, or properly to the NSC. Effect The College did not report the students? status changes to NSLDS within the required timeframe which may impact the students? loan grace periods. Questioned Costs Not applicable Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the eleven students selected for testing, three students, or 27% of our sample, were improperly reported to NSLDS. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable See finding 2019-001 included in the summary schedule of prior year findings. Recommendation The College should provide training to employees responsible for processing information for the NSLDS and ensure that they have adequate knowledge in the related rules and regulations. Management should strengthen their oversight of the NSLDS reporting to ensure that timely and accurate reporting of enrollment information is made to the NSLDS in order for them to be in compliance with the requirements. Additional emphasis should be made on reporting the proper effective date and enrollment status. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding.

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Finding number: 2020-003 Federal agency: U.S. Department of Education Programs: Student Financial Assistance Cluster CFDA #: 84.063 & 84.007 Award year: 2020 Criteria According to 34 CFR 685.309(b)(2): Unless [the institution] it 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 August 2020: 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 three students, out of a sample of eleven, with enrollment status changes, one student that had incorrect effective dates reported, while two students had incorrect effective dates and were reported late to NSLDS. Cause The College reports student enrollment status changes to the NSLDS through the National Student Clearinghouse ("NSC"), a third-party contractor, and is responsible for ensuring that student enrollment status changes are reported to NSLDS in a timely and accurate manner. It is the responsibility of the Registrar to submit the enrollment status changes to NSC and to ensure that controls are in place to timely submit updates once the Registrar's office receives a student status change. The Registrar's office did not report the student enrollment status changes timely, or properly to the NSC. Effect The College did not report the students? status changes to NSLDS within the required timeframe which may impact the students? loan grace periods. Questioned Costs Not applicable Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the eleven students selected for testing, three students, or 27% of our sample, were improperly reported to NSLDS. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable See finding 2019-001 included in the summary schedule of prior year findings. Recommendation The College should provide training to employees responsible for processing information for the NSLDS and ensure that they have adequate knowledge in the related rules and regulations. Management should strengthen their oversight of the NSLDS reporting to ensure that timely and accurate reporting of enrollment information is made to the NSLDS in order for them to be in compliance with the requirements. Additional emphasis should be made on reporting the proper effective date and enrollment status. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding.

Corrective Action Plan

Finding number: 2020-003 Federal agency: U.S. Department of Education Programs: Student Financial Aid Cluster CFDA #?s: 84.063 & 84.007 Award year: 2020 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 three students, out of a sample of eleven, with enrollment status changes, one student that had incorrect effective dates reported, while two students had incorrect effective dates and were reported late to NSLDS. Cause The College reports student enrollment status changes to the NSLDS through the National Student Clearinghouse ("NSC"), a third-party contractor, and is responsible for ensuring that student enrollment status changes are reported to NSLDS in an accurate manner. It is the responsibility of the Registrar to submit the enrollment NSC and to ensure that controls are in place to timely submit updates once the receives a student status change. The Registrar's office did not report the status changes timely, or properly to the NSC. Effect The College did not report the students? status changes to NSLDS within the required timeframe, which may impact the students? loan grace periods. Corrective Action Plan Urban College of Boston (UCB) began using the Clearinghouse to manage the updates to NSLDS for enrollment reporting. There is an exception report that is worked by the UCB Financial Aid team each month for any students who have inconsistencies in the data reported to NSLDS. This is not an issue that UCB expects to have going forward. During the R2T4 completion process, NSLDS is updated by the UCB Financial Aid team manually. Urban College takes the ownership of data and reporting extremely seriously and has taken steps to improve its process. Since the hiring of a new Registrar in 2020, all submissions have been made in a timely manner, and errors corrected within the 10-day window allowed by the Clearinghouse. - 21 - Extensive mischaracterization of student programs has also been corrected for currently enrolled students, ensuring that students are enrolled in the correct program code indicating the appropriate program length. Before UCB?s current Registrar?s arrival, only three codes were used for all students, indicating that students were all enrolled in associate degrees. Now student programs match the Catalogue and students in Professional Studies are reported as having no program. One item needing action (because the Registrar did not receive previous notifications) is the rejected student transmission details affecting about a dozen students over the course of the past year, which he has reached out to the Clearinghouse on how to resolve and looks forward to fixing before the audit for the year ending August 31, 2021 takes place. Timeline for Implementation of Corrective Action Plan: This was implemented in September 2020. Contact Person Alexander Wolniak, Registrar, alexander.wolniak@urbancollege.edu

Prior Finding References

2019-001

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FY 2019-08-31

$2,200,671 federal awards expended

FAC accepted this audit on November 23, 2020 — management decision was due May 23, 2021.

2019-001
Special Tests & Provisions
SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCYREPEAT OF 2018-001

Finding number: 2019-001 Federal agency: U.S. Department of Education Programs: Student Financial Assistance Cluster CFDA #: 84.063 & 84.007 Award year: 2019 Criteria According to 34 CFR 685.309(b)(2): Unless [the institution] it 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 June 2019: 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 15 students with enrollment status changes, 3 students contained at least one exception One student was reported late (84 days after status change) while two students we never reported to NSLDS. Cause The College reports student enrollment status changes to the NSLDS through the National Student Clearinghouse("NSC"), a third-party contractor, and is responsible for ensuring that student enrollment status changes are reported to the NSLDS in a timely and accurate manner. It is the responsibility of the Registrar to submit the enrollment status changes to NSC and to ensure that controls are in place to timely submit updates once the Registrar's office receives a student status change. The Registrar's office did not report the student enrollment status changes timely, or properly to the NSC. Effect The College did not report the students? status changes to NSLDS within the required timeframe, which may impact the students? loan grace periods. Questioned Costs Not applicable Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the 15 students selected for testing, 3 students, or 20% of our sample, were improperly reported to NSLDS. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable See finding 2018-001 included in the summary schedule of prior year findings. Recommendation Management should strengthen their oversight of the NSLDS reporting to ensure that timely and accurate reporting of enrollment information is made to the NSLDS in order for them to be in compliance with the requirements. Furthermore, additional emphasis should be made on reporting the proper effective date and enrollment status. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding.

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Finding number: 2019-001 Federal agency: U.S. Department of Education Programs: Student Financial Assistance Cluster CFDA #: 84.063 & 84.007 Award year: 2019 Criteria According to 34 CFR 685.309(b)(2): Unless [the institution] it 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 June 2019: 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 15 students with enrollment status changes, 3 students contained at least one exception One student was reported late (84 days after status change) while two students we never reported to NSLDS. Cause The College reports student enrollment status changes to the NSLDS through the National Student Clearinghouse("NSC"), a third-party contractor, and is responsible for ensuring that student enrollment status changes are reported to the NSLDS in a timely and accurate manner. It is the responsibility of the Registrar to submit the enrollment status changes to NSC and to ensure that controls are in place to timely submit updates once the Registrar's office receives a student status change. The Registrar's office did not report the student enrollment status changes timely, or properly to the NSC. Effect The College did not report the students? status changes to NSLDS within the required timeframe, which may impact the students? loan grace periods. Questioned Costs Not applicable Perspective Our sample was not, and was not intended to be, statistically valid. Of the 15 students selected for testing, 3 students, or 20% of our sample, were improperly reported to NSLDS. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable See finding 2018-001 included in the summary schedule of prior year findings. Recommendation Management should strengthen their oversight of the NSLDS reporting to ensure that timely and accurate reporting of enrollment information is made to the NSLDS in order for them to be in compliance with the requirements. Furthermore, additional emphasis should be made on reporting the proper effective date and enrollment status. View of Responsible Officials The College agrees with the finding.

Corrective Action Plan

Finding number: 2019-001 Federal agency: U.S. Department of Education Programs: Student Financial Assistance Cluster CFDA #?s: 84.063 & 84.007 Award year: 2019 Corrective Action Plan: The college, in June 2019, underwent a USDOE Program Review wherein there was a Finding of non-compliance with 34 CFR 685.309(b). In its April, 2020 response to the USDOE Program Review, the college provided corrective actions related to Enrollment Reporting. Please accept the following acknowledgement and corrective actions related to Enrollment Reporting requirements: Finding 1 Inaccurate Reporting to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) College Response The College agrees with the finding of noncompliance. Corrective Actions Taken In addition to conducting the two-year Full File Review, and making all necessary corrections in student records, the college also conducted a detailed analysis of its business practices, departmental inter-dependencies, policies and partnerships related to NSLDS Enrollment Reporting. The college has identified several underlying factors that have contributed to its NSLDS Reporting challenges, including the need for a sustainable, cross-functional training plan. Despite past challenges, there is now a renewed understanding of the best practices and steps necessary to maintain compliance going forward. The college understands its responsibilities under 34 CFR 685.309(b) (timely reporting) and 34 CFR 668.16 (Standards of Administrative Capability) and has identified key areas below that, as implemented, will strengthen its NSLDS Enrollment Reporting efforts. The college?s student demographics and registration trends reflect that the college is largely attended by working adults with families and the majority of its students are female (91% Female as evidenced on the Fall 2018 Enrollment Section of the NCES College Navigator). With that, enrollment levels for most students are primarily and almost always part-time (92% Part-time as evidenced on the Fall 2018 Enrollment Section of the NCES College Navigator). The college has also found that students increase and decrease enrollment throughout the term, which makes it difficult to anticipate registration and to process enrollment status changes in a timely fashion, particularly during peak processing seasons. To address these challenges, the college is taking the following steps: 1. Retrain enrollment/advising/financial aid staff to incorporate a review and discussion of Certificate and Degree Plans at admission to ensure that students understand program requirements and the impact of enrollment changes on both academic pursuit and financial aid eligibility. 2. Develop a term-by-term ?Student Communication Plan? for continuing students that defines institutional registration requirements, deadlines and the impact of enrollment changes. 3. Evaluate changes to the Financial Aid Packaging Philosophy that eliminate optional recalculations (when students have begun attendance in all classes, but withdraw from one or more classes). 4. Analyze the impact of multiple disbursements within a payment period to ensure that student needs are met. 5. Review options for projecting student enrollment at ?half-time? during the Financial Aid Packaging process and making adjustments (up or down) to Federal Pell Grants when students don?t begin attendance in all registered courses contributing to the projected enrollment status. The college also took steps to mitigate ?Never Reported? and ?Late Reporting? status to NSLDS. As found in the Program Review report, the occurrence of instances where students were ?never reported? or ?reported late? to NSLDS exceeds the threshold for compliance. These instances were, in part, due to the nature in which students register for courses; most often within days of the start of term or shortly after the term start date. Internal discussion of late registrations revealed that the reasons for late registration vary from family obligations to work requirements (childcare and/or shift work). One underlying contributor to students ?never reported? or ?reported late? to NSLDS is the increased pressure on a small staff to react to these changes without clearly defined protocols for Enrollment staff, Academic staff (including Faculty) and Financial Aid staff, particularly during peak periods. In addition to the steps outlined above, the college is taking the following steps to mitigate "never reported" and "late reporting" to NSLDs: 1. Institute monthly Enrollment Reporting reconciliation practices (similar to Federal Fund reconciliation) between Financial Aid and Registrar staff to ensure that all required students and status changes have been reported timely to NSLDS. Executive level sign off is required monthly. 2. Students not reported to NSLDS due to pending aid applications will be pushed to the SSCR roster and reported to NSLDS by NSC or added manually to the NSLDS database by college staff. 3. Origination records for Pell Grant eligible students will be generated via Edexpress by the Financial Aid Office (FAO) and reported to the COD system for enrolled students no later than the end of the add/drop period for each course/semester start date. Additional origination records will be submitted to COD daily. Another contributor to NSLDS noncompliance has been the timeliness with which aid has traditionally been processed for students. In general, and as evidenced by other Findings within the Program Review report, the Federal Pell Grant has been processed well after the term start date and in many cases, near the end of the term or even well beyond the term end date. This practice was, in many cases, due to the above-mentioned registration trends. An effort to minimize recalculations, Federal Pell Grant adjustments and processing errors based on rapid registration changes, coupled with a misunderstanding of the requirements for disbursements within a term, contributed to students not appearing on the NSLDS Student Status Confirmation Report (SSCR) roster until the Federal Pell Grant was originated by the college. Delayed aid processing also contributes to the number of errors on the submission to NSC due to missing social security numbers. In addition to the steps outline above, the college is taking the following steps to mitigate the timeliness with which aid is process for students: 1. Origination records for Pell Grant eligible students will be generated via Edexpress by the Financial Aid Office (FAO) and reported to the COD system for enrolled students no later than the end of the add/drop period for each course/semester start date. Additional origination records will be submitted to COD daily. 2. All status changes will be reviewed by the Registrar for accuracy, including documentation of the last date of attendance or withdrawal date and communicated to the Financial Aid office in a timely manner. Finally, the college is contracted with the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) for its NSLDS Enrollment Reporting. The NSC operates under an ?Ask/Answer? model as it relates to its response to students on the SSCR. While the college reports all students to NSC on a monthly basis, NSC only returns students to NSLDS a status for students that are being requested by NSLDS on the SSCR. If the student is not on the SSCR, NSC simply does not reply or add the student to the NSLDS roster. While the college understands its responsibility for the timeliness of enrollment reporting and data submissions, NSC internal practices were not clearly understood. The NSC does, however, run an internal ?Add? process through its system to determine if a currently enrolled Urban College of Boston student has benefited from Federal Student Aid within the past 10 years at any other college. If so, the student is added to the SSCR roster. Unfortunately, instances of this occurrence are rare, as many UCB students are first-time aid applicants. In addition to the steps outline above, the college has taken the following steps to further strengthen its relationship with NSC and to better understand its internal practices: 1. The college will host semi-annual training sessions attending by college and NSC staff to ensure that policies and practices are understood by both parties. 2. All students attending a Summer term, including those attending less than half-time (LTH), will be reported to NSLDS. This is particularly appropriate for students attending a Summer term at a ?less than half-time? enrollment status, and subsequently withdrawing from the institution during the same term. 3. Social security numbers for aid applicants will be added to the system of record consistently to minimize errors and delayed Enrollment Reporting. Recognizing student registration trends and the college's delayed aid processing, the college is reengineering its student registration protocols and communicating requirements to staff and students. The timeline for Financial Aid processing has been adjusted to adhere to regulatory requirements. These steps will help to ensure timely reporting to the NSLDS. Timeline for Implementation of Corrective Action Plan: The college began implementation of the Corrective Actions listed above immediately following the submission of its Program Review response, in May, 2020. The Higher Education Assistance Group, Inc. (HEAG, Inc.) has supported the college in ensuring that Enrollment Reporting for May, 2020 and June, 2020 was timely and accurate. Additionally, the college has already rewritten its Enrollment Reporting policy and procedures and has contracted with HEAG, Inc. to provide ongoing training (as described in the Program Review response). Finally, the college hired a Chief Student Services Officer (CSSO), who started her employment at UCB on July 1, 2020, and who will be responsible for leading and overseeing the Financial Aid, Registrar, Enrollment and Studen

Prior Finding References

2018-001

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FY 2018-08-31

$1,991,702 federal awards expended

FAC accepted this audit on May 14, 2019 — management decision was due November 14, 2019.

2018-001
Special Tests & Provisions
SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCYREPEAT OF 2017-001

GSA_MIGRATION

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GSA_MIGRATION

Corrective Action Plan

GSA_MIGRATION

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2017-001

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FY 2017-08-31

LOW-RISK AUDITEE$1,879,293 federal awards expended

FAC accepted this audit on May 14, 2019 — management decision was due November 14, 2019.

2007-001
Special Tests & Provisions
SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCYREPEAT OF 2016-001

GSA_MIGRATION

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GSA_MIGRATION

Corrective Action Plan

GSA_MIGRATION

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2016-001

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2017-002
Special Tests & Provisions
SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCY

GSA_MIGRATION

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GSA_MIGRATION

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GSA_MIGRATION

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2017-003
Special Tests & Provisions
SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCY

GSA_MIGRATION

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GSA_MIGRATION

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GSA_MIGRATION

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FY 2016-08-31

LOW-RISK AUDITEE$1,971,669 federal awards expended

FAC accepted this audit on May 18, 2017 — management decision was due November 18, 2017.

2016-001
Special Tests & Provisions
SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCYREPEAT OF 2015-001

GSA_MIGRATION

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GSA_MIGRATION

Corrective Action Plan

GSA_MIGRATION

Prior Finding References

2015-001

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