Quality
Assurance
in
Financial Aid
Alexis Moynahan - UMUC
Gloria Holt - UMBC
Quality Assurance in Financial Aid
Objectives for today:
•
Define quality assurance, and what it means for your office
•
Discuss benefits
•
Developing a process
•
Promoting QA in FA
•
Overview of QA processes
Quality Assurance in Financial Aid
What does it mean?
Compliance: the state or fact of according with or
meeting rules or standards*
Quality Assurance: the maintenance of a desired level of
quality in a service of product, especially by the means of
attention to every stage of the process of delivery or
production*
*Google
Quality Assurance in Financial Aid
Benefits:
Identifies training/incentive opportunities
•
•
•
•
•
•
Refresher training
Trends
Areas of strength
Separate duties
Peer trainers
Promotion
Quality Assurance in Financial Aid
Benefits:
Identifies errors so they can be fixed prior to an
audit/program review
Quality Assurance in Financial Aid
Benefits:
Supports compliance:
Does the office have the required written procedures?
• Do the procedures align with federal/state/institutional policies?
• Is the staff consistently following established procedures?
•
Quality Assurance in Financial Aid
Developing a Process:
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What staff should be included?
•
What processes, areas, units, should be reviewed?
•
Forms?
Developing a Process: What to Review?
Examples:
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Verification
•
C-Flags
•
Awards
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Unusual Enrollment History & High School Diploma
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Appeals
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Return of Title IV funds
Quality Assurance in Financial Aid
Promoting Your Process:
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Highlighting the positive outcomes of QA
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Managers need to be onboard
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Discuss expectations
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Proper use of funds
UMUC
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Non-traditional 4yr, online public university, PeopleSoft
•
Financial Aid Office: 60+ staff members, worldwide
•
Approx 90,000 students, worldwide
•
Approx 30% of student population receives financial aid
UMUC’s QA Process
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Why QA? Saw a need for the office.
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Implementation – New process for FAO
•
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Talking with other offices, research, talking with staff
Time in the QA process – started in 2012
•
Currently 1 full-time staff member, and 2 teleworkers
•
Challenges/Take Away’s – buy-in from various units,
collaborating with these units to help serve their needs.
•
Types of reviews – verification, R2T4, comment codes, Pell
recalculations, loan limits, transfer monitoring, SAP, manual
awards, UEH
UMUC’s QA Process
•
Use queries, and reports to randomly select sample files to
review for each QA area (verification, R2T4, manual
awards, etc.)
•
Designate quantity of files to review, generally higher for
new employees, or new process
•
Utilize spreadsheets to create, review, and submit reports
•
Communicate with managers for respective units on any findings,
or questions about internal business processes
UMBC
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Traditional 4yr, public university; PeopleSoft and ImageNow
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OFaS: 19 full-time staff – 4 Assoc. directors manage units
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Approx. 14,000 stdts (11,400 UG; 2,600 GR)
•
•
Approx. 70 % of our stdts receive some form of financial assistance
File review: Legislative audit suggestion
UMBC cont.
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Implementation – new process for OFaS
•
•
Research, talking to other aid administrators, SCCE Conference –
created a model based on our needs
Time in the QA process – began with 2014/15 AY
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Currently 3 full-time staff, originally just me
•
Challenges/Take Away's – staff truly buying in to the
process; know that you will be appreciated in the end
•
Types of reviews: federal verification, comment codes, Pell
LEU, unusual enrollment, loan limits, PJ, SAP, DA, R2T4
UMBC’s QA Process
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Utilize queries to randomly select student files within a particular
category for review (verification, comment code, loan limits, etc.)
•
Can designate the percentage and/or specific staff for review
•
Audit worksheets are used to document file review
Flagged files are returned for staff review/update
• Updated files and files not flagged – QA checklist is posted
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Designates that a file was selected/reviewed
• Prevents a file from being selected again for the same audit type
•
•
Checklist comments – review type(s)
Questions?
?
Contact Information
Alexis (Lex) Moynahan
Gloria Holt
alexis.moynahan@umuc.edu
gholt@umbc.edu
(240) 684-5671
(410) 455-8460
Sample Forms
2015-16
Q & A Review
Comment Code Worksheet
Student’s Name _____________________________
Student ID _________________________________
Review PeopleSoft to determine the status of the following information:
PeopleSoft > Fin Aid Status page:
Review Completed by ________________________
Date Review Completed ________________________
Review ImageNow to determine the status of the following information:
Selective Service Registration (CC 030)
Is stdt female: _____
If yes, SSS not required
Is stdt male: _______ Less than age 18: ______
Between 18-25: ____
Over the age of 26: ____
SSS Reg. Card: _____
SSS Letter: ___________
Citizenship Confirmation (CC 145)
Birth Certificate: _____ Certif. of Naturalization: ____
US Passport: ________ Certif. of Citizenship: ______
I-551, I-151 or 551C: ___ Departure Rec. I-94: ______
Foreign Passport Processed for I-551 (valid until): _____
‘Saw Original/Date Stamped on doc: ______________
DHS Confirmation (CC 109)
NSLDS: Overpayment
Completed G-845 form on file: _______________
Signed/Dated Copy of Affirmation Letter: _________
Dated Completed form was received: __________
Date Verification was completed: _____________
Default Resolved
Loan Rehab. Letter: ___ Loan Repay. Letter: _____
Loan Consolidation Letter: _____________________
Please note if the verification documents are legible and contained in the stdt’s file: Y/N
Audit Review Date:
__________
Reviewer’s Initials: _______
Reviewer’s Comments:
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Staff Review Date:
__________
Reviewer’s Initials: _______
Action(s) Taken to Resolve:
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Q & A Follow Up Date: __________
Reviewer’s Initials: _______
Was Issue Resolved:
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
2015-16
Q & A Review
Waiver Worksheet
2015-2016 Audit Worksheet
Pell Grant Review of Lifetime Eligibility
Students
Name:___________________________
Campus
ID:_______________________________
Review documents in Image Now and COD Pell information. If no information has changed, use Image
Now Document to complete calculations below. If information has changed, print new COD Pell Sheet
document and turn over to staff for re-review.
Calculations: Review the 2015-2016 Pell Payment Schedule to determine the amount of Pell Grant the
student is eligible for based on the student’s EFC. Use this amount to determine student’s eligibility for
the 2015-2016 aid year.
Student’s EFC:_________________________
Student’s Name ________________________
Review PeopleSoft to determine the status of the following information:
PeopleSoft > Fin Aid Status page:
Waiver Completed by ___________________
600
- ___________
=___________
$___________
x___________
=$__________
$___________
$___________
$___________
$___________
$___________
$___________
Is Counselor’s calculations correct?
 Yes
 Yes
Semester: FA
Enrollment: FT TQT HT
Enrollment: FT TQT
HT
N
All Docs Received Within Two Weeks of Request:
Was Stdt was Properly Added to Hold Report:
Y
N
Outstanding Balance was Paid Prior to Fee Assessed: Y N
Y
N
Amt of Outstanding Bal. on Collections Report: $ _______
All OFaS Deadlines for FAFSA and MPN Were Met:
Y
N
Stdt Has Enough Anticipated Aid to Cover Charges: Y
Late Fee Assessed was Beyond Student’s Control:
Y
N
Checklist With Comments was Posted in PS:
Y N
FA SP SU
N
Registration/Housing Clearance
Enrollment: FT TQT
HT
Semester:
FA SP SU
Enrollment: FT TQT
HT
Stdt Had Aid in Excess of Charges:
Y
N
Does Stdt Currently Have an Outstanding Balance: Y
Approved Amt: ________
Is Amt Accurate:
Y
N
Amt of Outstanding Balance
Stdt is Registered: Y
Stdt is Meeting SAP:
Y
N
Stdt Has Enough Anticipated Aid to Cover Charges: Y
N
Y
N
Staff Section of Form was Completed:
Y
N
Y
N
Checklist With Comments was Posted in PS:
Y
N
N
Was the Form Linked to the Stdt’s Acct:
Summer Aid Application was Submitted
Reviewer’s Notes:
SU
Y
Semester:
 No
SP
Stdt is Listed on Current SBS CCU Report:
Book Loans
 No
PeopleSoft>Main Menu>Financial Aid>Awards>Award Processing>Assign Awards to Student. When
awarding students, they maximum semester Pell grant amount should always be awarded to Fall and
the remaining awarded to Spring. Review the student’s award package to make sure the amounts are
split appropriately.
Is the correct Pell Grant awarded and for the correct semester?
Late Fee Waiver
CCU Hold
Student’s Scheduled Pell Award: $________________
Award
Summer 2015
Fall 2015
Winter 2016
Spring 2016
Summer 2016
Total
Date Waiver Completed ____________________
Review Checklist Comments to determine the status of the following information:
Semester: FA SP SU
Calculation
% Pell
% of Pell Used
% Remaining
Scheduled Pell Award
% Remaining
Eligibility
Student ID ______________________________
Audit Review Date:
__________
(su aid only):
Reviewer’s Initials: _______
(incl amt in collections):
N
$ ______
Reviewer’s Comments:
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Initials:
Date:
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Staff Notes:
Staff Review Date:
__________
Reviewer’s Initials: _______
Action(s) Taken to Resolve:
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Initials:
Date:
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Reviewer’s Notes:
Q & A Follow Up Date: __________
Reviewer’s Initials: _______
Was Issue Resolved:
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Initials:
Date:
_________________________________________________________________________________________