Federal Student Aid

Assessments
Holly Langer-Evans and Michael Cagle
Session Objectives
To Demonstrate:

• The new Federal Student Aid Assessments

• How the Assessments can assist with financial aid
operations, audits and program reviews
• How to navigate the Assessments
• How a school can use the Assessments to resolve
Title IV deficiencies and improve its policies and
procedures manual
• A Team Building Tool
What are the Federal Student Aid
Assessments
Tools to:

Prevent non-compliance

Identify compliance
issues
Establish management
enhancements to correct
problems
Why use the Federal Student Aid
Assessments?

• Ensure compliance
• Prepare for an Audit
• Prepare for a program review
• Correct deficiencies and to ensure findings do not
recur
• Develop or update policies and procedures manual
• Train new staff
Where to find the Federal Student Aid Assessments

• IFAP
http://ifap.ed.gov
Where to find the Federal Student Aid Assessments

•School Portal
http://Federal Student Aid4schools.ed.gov
 HERA

The Redesign of the Assessments

New Look and Introduce the

Feel New Policy
and Procedure
Assessment
The Federal Student Aid Assessments – Re-Design
Why would you use the Federal Student Aid Assessments?
Policies & Procedures Assessment

• Policies and Procedures At A Glance

• Minimum Requirements
• Regulations
• Activities
 Potential Audit Findings
• Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy Not
Adequately Developed / Impaired
Administrative Capability

• Verification Incomplete

• Title IV Accounts Not Reconciled

 Lear n t o N avi gate the
Assess ments
Instr uctor Demonstrati on
http://ifap.ed.gov

Finding 1: SAP Policy Not Adequately Developed /

Impaired Administrative Capability

•Review SAP Assessment – Students

•Policies and Procedures Assessment
•SAP At a Glance
•Activity 1 and Activity 2
Finding 1: SAP Policy Not Adequately
Developed / Impaired Administrative Capability

• File Review Activities

SAP Activity 1:
SAP Not Met File Review Worksheet

SAP Activity 2:
SAP Met File Review Worksheet
Learn to Navigate the Assessments
Instructor Demonstration

http://ifap.ed.gov

Finding: 2 – Verification Incomplete

• Review Verification Assessment - Students
• Policies and Procedures
• Activity 4: Resolving Conflicting Data
• Activity 5: Professional Judgment
• Verification Comparison Charts
Learn to Navigate the Assessments
Instructor Demonstration

http://ifap.ed.gov

Finding: 3 – Title IV Accounts Not Reconciled

• Select Managing Funds – Fiscal Management

• Select Activity 1 – Reconciliation Worksheets
• Review Year End and Monthly Worksheet
Management Enhancement
An Action
Plan To:
Identify compliance
issues

Assign the issue for

correction
Design a Corrective Action
Plan
Effective Practices

• Innovation – Effective Practices

• Opportunity to review a successful practice
reported by one of your colleagues
• Opportunity to report a successful practice to the
Department.
 Importance of Team
Building

“It’s a fact that people working as a

team can achieve better results than
individuals working alone.”
Team Activity

• When I say go, list 10 body parts that have only 3

letters in them. You can’t use slang.
Answer Key

Lip Jaw
Hip Rib
Gum Leg
Ear Arm
Eye Toe
Use the Team Building Tool

http://www.teambuildinginc.com

www.teambuildinginc.com
Summary

• If we can find it – so can you

• Use the Assessments to fix problems before they
are identified through an audit or a program review
• Team Approach to the assessments is critical
• Use the Management Enhancement as a
corrective action plan and track progress
Questions