Department of Education

We found significant weaknesses in the processes for performing program reviews. We also found a weakness in selecting schools for program reviews. Program review specialists did not always conduct program reviews in accordance with FSA’s program review procedures. Specifically, required forms and...

In September 2016, we issued a Management Information Report that informed the Department of our concerns regarding how the FSA ID and the Personal Authentication Service were being misused by commercial third parties to take over borrower accounts. The OIG identified this problem through various...

The Government Charge Card Abuse Prevention Act of 2012 requires inspectors general to conduct periodic risk assessments of their agency’s purchase card program to identify and analyze the risks of illegal, improper, and erroneous purchases and payments. Inspectors General must then use the results...

We found that the Department needs to improve its implementation of the minimum requirements related to identifying and preventing fraud, waste, and abuse in the SBIR program. Although the Department is not required to establish its own overall operating procedures and regulations for the SBIR...

We found that improvements were needed in the Department’s monitoring of Rural Education Achievement Program grantees’ performance and use of funds. We specifically noted that the Department conducted limited monitoring to determine whether grantees were makingprogress toward program goals or...

We found that OESE did not close audits timely and did not adequately maintain documentation of audit followup activities. From October 1, 2008, through September 30, 2013, OESE closed 86 external OIG audits. Of the 86 closed audits, 59 (69 percent) were closed more than 2 years after resolution and...

We found that the Department’s audit followup process was not always effective and noted that the Department’s accountable office did not fulfill its responsibilities to (1) ensure that action officials had systems in place to follow up on corrective actions, (2) monitor compliance with OMB Circular...

We found that the Office of Civil Rights generally resolves complaints in a timely and efficient manner and in accordance with applicable policies and procedures. However, we noted that increasing workload and decreasing resources could have a negative impact on complaint resolution over time, and...

The auditors found that the Department’s FY 2015 Closing Package Financial Statements were fairly presented, in all material respects, in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. The auditors did not identify material weaknesses in internal controls over financial reporting, nor...

For FY 2015, both the Department and FSA financial statements were fairly presented, in all material respects, in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; however, like FY 2014, the financial statement auditors identified one significant deficiency in internal control over financial...