Reports

Department of Education OIG

Review of State Plans for Use of Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Funds

The objectives of our review were to review States’ initial 45-day GEER Fund reports to determine how States plan to allocate funds to entities within the three authorized categories: local educational agencies (LEA), institutions of higher education (IHE), and education-related entities, and the criteria upon which these decisions were based; and review GEER Fund annual reports to identify changes to and progress made from the initial plans in the 45-day reports. We found that within the three authorized entity categories, 45 States (87 percent) planned to allocate GEER funds to LEAs, 39...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Department of Defense OIG

Audit of DoD Actions Taken to Implement Cybersecurity Protections Over Remote Access Software in the Coronavirus Disease–2019 Telework Environment

We are conducting the subject audit at the request of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. The objective of this audit is to determine the actions taken by the DoD to configure remote access software used to facilitate telework during the COVID-19 pandemic to protect DoD networks and systems from potential malicious activity. We will also determine the extent to which the DoD implemented security controls to protect remote connections to its networks. We may revise the objective as the audit proceeds, and we will consider suggestions from management for additional or revised objectives.

Department of Defense OIG

Audit of DoD Actions Taken to Protect DoD Information When Using Collaboration Tools During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The objective of this audit is to determine whether DoD’s deployment of collaboration tools used to facilitate telework during the coronavirus disease–2019 (COVID-19) pandemic exposed DoD networks and systems to potential malicious activity, and the extent to which the DoD implemented security controls to protect the collaboration tools used on its networks. We will perform this audit in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. We may revise the objective as the audit proceeds, and we will consider suggestions from DoD management for additional or revised objectives.

Department of Agriculture OIG

USDA COVID-19 Funding Dashboard

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Funding Dashboard allows stakeholders to explore an overview of the sources and uses of USDA’s COVID-19 funding. This interactive dashboard displays the amounts of USDA COVID-19 funding enacted, budgeted, obligated, and spent, by appropriations act, agency, program area, and use of funds, as identified by USDA’s Office of Budget and Program Analysis and by the Forest Service.

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Department of Agriculture OIG

COVID-19—Oversight of the Emergency Food Assistance Program—Interim Report

The objective of our ongoing inspection is to evaluate FNS’ oversight of TEFAP—this report provides the interim results on what criteria FNS used to approve States for food and administrative funds provided under the FFCR and CARES Acts.

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Department of Education OIG

Remington College’s Use of Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Student Aid and Institutional Grants

The objective of our audit was to determine if Remington College used the Student Aid (Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.425E) and Institutional (ALN 84.425F) portions of its Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) grant funds for allowable and intended purposes. Remington College generally used the Student Aid portion of its HEERF grant funds for allowable and intended purposes but did not always use the Institutional portion of its funds in accordance with Federal requirements. We found that Remington College spent Institutional funds for several unallowable purposes and did not...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 9/28/2021

2.1 - Open

Require Remington College to return to the Department the $80,121 in Institutional grant funds spent beyond the supplemental Institutional grant period or reallocate the funds to other allowable costs.

2.2 - Open

Clarify whether the costs that Remington College initially charged to its Institutional grant for student computers were allowable under the law and existing guidance, and determine whether Remington College’s subsequent reallocation of costs for other expenses in the amount of $64,985 (corrective actions) was appropriate.

2.3 - Open

Determine whether the $639,400 that Remington College charged to its Institutional grant for contracts awarded without a competitive procurement process was reasonable when compared to the quality and costs of suitable alternatives, and if not, require appropriate corrective actions.

2.4 - Open

Require Remington College to incorporate in its policies and procedures for managing HEERF grant funds the Federal requirements related to charging only allowable costs during the grant performance period, using competitive processes for selecting vendors when purchases are over $10,000, obtaining price or rate quotations from an adequate number of qualified vendors for purchases between $10,000 and $250,000, and using formal procurement methods for purchases over $250,000.

2.5 - Open

Require Remington College to ensure that school officials responsible for making purchasing decisions receive sufficient training on Federal rules and regulations related to grant administration and management.

3.1 - Open

Require Remington College to incorporate in its policies and procedures for managing Institutional grant funds the Federal cash management requirements related to minimizing the time between drawing down and spending Federal grant funds, including HEERF funds; maintaining the funds in an interest-bearing account; and remitting interest earned in excess of $500 in accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.305(b).

3.2 - Open

Require Remington College to incorporate in its policies and procedures for managing Student Aid grant funds the Federal cash management requirements related to maintaining the funds in an interest-bearing account and remitting interest earned in excess of $500 in accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.305(b).

3.3 - Open

Determine whether Remington College accurately calculated interest and ensure that the correct amount of interest is returned to the Federal government in accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.305(b)(9).

Department of Agriculture OIG

COVID-19—Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Modifications in Response to the Pandemic

We determined how RBCS implemented the B&I CARES Act Guaranteed Loan Program and made modifications to help guaranteed lenders with existing borrowers experiencing cash flow issues.

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Department of Defense OIG

Audit of Department of Defense Education Activity Controls Related to the Spread of Coronavirus Disease–2019

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Department of Education OIG

Lincoln College of Technology’s Use of Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Student Aid and Institutional Grants

The objective of our audit was to determine whether Lincoln College of Technology (Lincoln) used the Student Aid (Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.425E) and Institutional (ALN 84.425F) portions of its Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) funds for allowable and intended purposes. We also reviewed Lincoln’s cash management practices and the timeliness and quality of the data Lincoln reported on its use of HEERF funds. LESC generally used the Student Aid portion of Lincoln’s HEERF funds for allowable and intended purposes but did not always use the Institutional portion of its funds...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 9/24/2021

1.1 - Closed

We recommend that the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Postsecondary Education require LESC to update its written policies and procedures to contain sufficient detail to ensure that (1) all the steps necessary to verify student eligibility and distribute funds to students under the CARES Act and subsequent coronavirus legislations are addressed and completed, (2) funding determinations are adequately documented and supported in accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.302, and (3) students with exceptional need are prioritized in accordance with CRRSAA and ARP.

2.1 - Closed

Regarding LESC’s decision to reallocate the amounts we questioned in this finding, we recommend that the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Postsecondary Education review the reallocated funds and determine whether LESC’s use of $710,274 of Lincoln’s Institutional grant funds to write off unpaid accounts receivable for students, who withdrew from the school due to coronavirus, was allowable and for the intended purposes of applicable coronavirus relief legislation.

2.2 - Closed

If LESC’s reallocation of Lincoln’s Institutional grant funds is deemed unallowable, we recommend that the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Postsecondary require LESC to return to the Department the $700,155 of Lincoln’s Institutional grant funds that LESC improperly applied to credit student accounts for rent students paid to third-party landlords and the $9,838 that LESC improperly spent for subscriptions extending beyond the grant performance period and determine if these issues occurred at LESC’s other schools and take corrective action as appropriate.

3.1 - Closed

We recommend that the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Postsecondary Education require LESC to incorporate in its policies and procedures the cash management requirements for minimizing the time between drawing down and disbursing Federal grant funds, including HEERF funds, maintaining the funds in an interest-bearing account, and remitting interest earned more than $500 in accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.305(b).

3.2 - Closed

We recommend that the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Postsecondary Education determine whether LESC accurately calculated interest and properly remitted the interest returned in January 2021, in accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.305(b)(9).

Railroad Retirement Board OIG

Audit of the Utilization of ARPA Information Technology Modernization Funds at the Railroad Retirement Board

The objectives of this audit are to: 1) obtain, review, and assess agency plans to expend these funds, 2) determine the current status of the RRB IT initiatives to expend all or part of the appropriation, 3) evaluate if the project progress is in accordance with the RRB’s project plan timeline, and reasons for delay, if any, 4) evaluate if the RRB’s goals and timeline are reasonable and attainable to achieve the intended purpose as stated in agency plans, and 5) evaluate the outcomes of the project relative to the anticipated improvements.

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State (State and Local Reports)

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Management Challenges

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Reports

Review of State Plans for Use of Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Funds

Audit of DoD Actions Taken to Implement Cybersecurity Protections Over Remote Access Software in the Coronavirus Disease–2019 Telework Environment

Audit of DoD Actions Taken to Protect DoD Information When Using Collaboration Tools During the COVID-19 Pandemic

USDA COVID-19 Funding Dashboard

COVID-19—Oversight of the Emergency Food Assistance Program—Interim Report

Remington College’s Use of Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Student Aid and Institutional Grants

COVID-19—Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Modifications in Response to the Pandemic

Audit of Department of Defense Education Activity Controls Related to the Spread of Coronavirus Disease–2019

Lincoln College of Technology’s Use of Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Student Aid and Institutional Grants

Audit of the Utilization of ARPA Information Technology Modernization Funds at the Railroad Retirement Board

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