Quality Assurance Program

1. Quality Assurance Program The Impact of Quality Assurance Program Presented by: Dawn Knepper, University of Rio Grande Jennifer Dyer, University of Charleston

2. History of the Program • Quality Control Project began 1985 • Authorized under Section 487A of the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965, as amended in 1992 and 1998 • Federal Register published 02/26/2008

3. Quality Assurance Program • It Is All About…… • Accountability • Teamwork • A Working Partnership

4. Quality Assurance Program • A Partnership • A Management Tool • An Alternative Oversight Strategy

5. Quality Assurance Program

6. Benefits of the Quality Assurance Program • Continuous Improvement Techniques • Problem Prevention • Increased Flexibility • Increased Accountability • Effective Oversight

7. Who Participates….. • 2007-2008 • 141 schools with ISIR data • 141,484 individual ISIR records • Average enrollment was 20,105 per school • 8.6% Private Four-Year Schools • 23.1% Public Four-Year Schools • 68.3% Public Two-Year Schools

8. Benefits of the Quality Assurance Program • Address operational weaknesses in the delivery process that cause delays or inaccuracies. • Helps to improve accuracy. • Provides relief from prescriptive integrated verification requirements, and the opportunity to customize the verification process.

9. Benefits of the Quality Assurance Program • Improved institutional Title IV audits resulting in reduced financial liability and decreased staff time needed by institutions to resolve audit exceptions. • Process financial aid in a more efficient and productive manner. • Improved services to students.

10. Benefits of the Quality Assurance Program • Complemented and enhanced existing office management style. • Increased awareness by other functional areas at the institution of the financial aid office and the commitment to quality.

11. Benefits of the Quality Assurance Program • Flexibilities • Regulations • 668.53 (a)(1) through (4) • 668.54 (a)(1)(2) and (4) • 668.56 • 668.57 • 668.60 (a) • Exemption • Policies and Procedures • Applicants to be Verified • Items to be Verified • Acceptable Documentation • Deadlines for Submitting Documentation

12. Goals of the Quality Assurance Program • Share results of the program-wide analysis of data • Illustrate additional ways to analyze ISIR data • Demonstrate ISIR Analysis Tool

13. Key Areas of Analysis • Description of population • Critical ISIR fields • How changes affect aid eligibility • Improper payments in the Federal Pell Grant program

14. When Looking Across Years Keep in Mind: • The two different populations • Changes to institutional verification criteria between years • Other difference between award years

15. Characteristics of Aid Applicants at QA Program Schools 2006-07

16. Percentage of dependent applicants with changes to the most commonly changed ISIR Fields: 2006-07

17. Percentage of independent applicants with changes to the most commonly changed ISIR Fields: 2006-07

18. Changes to critical ISIR fields among dependent students over time

19. Changes to critical fields among independent students over time

20. Dependent records: percent of ISIR fields experiencing an EFC change - 2006-07

21. Independent records: Percent of ISIR fields experiencing an EFC change - 2006-07

22. Percentage of dependent records with a change to the indicated ISIR field and a change to a Pell Grant: 2006-07

23. Percentage of independent records with a change to the indicated ISIR field and a change to a Pell Grant: 2006-07

24. Average EFC change among dependent records with a change to the indicated ISIR field: 2006-07

25. Average EFC change among independent records with a change to the indicated ISIR field: 2006-07

26. Potential improper payments in Pell Grants prior to verification at QA Schools: 2006-07

27. Improper Payments in Pell Grants before and after school verification

28. Lessons Learned • While verification is crucial in some cases, many ISIR records do not experience a meaningful change from their initial transaction value • QA school verification procedures target larger EFC and Pell changes • QA school verification reduces improper payment risks in Pell

29. What Do the Findings Mean for Schools and FSA? Given that relatively few ISIR records experience a change that affects eligibility for need-based aid, verification efforts should strive to focus on the records that matter.

30. Two Ways to Focus • Look for the records that matter • Look for the records that don’t

31. Look for ways to reduce the number of school verified records that experience no or only trivial changes to aid eligibility after verification Suggested Additional Analysis

32. Additional Analysis • ISIR Analysis Tool reports • Exporting data from the Tool

33. ISIR Analysis Tool • Key Filters • EFC change < 400 & EFC change > -400 • EFC change > 400 • EFC change < -400 • Institutional verification criteria

34. ISIR Analysis Tool • Key Reports • Sample summary • Field Increment (EFC or AGI) • Drill down to refine understanding

35. 2006-07 Institutional Profile Example of a 2006-2007 Institutional Profile

36. To Participate • Letter of Application to: • U.S. Department of Education PAIB, Quality Assurance Program 600 Independence Ave., S.W. ROB-3, Room 3925 Washington, D.C. 20202-5232 Call: (202) 260.4788 Fax: (202) 708.9485

37. Quality Assurance ProgramParticipation Agreement • A formal agreement • The scope of the QAP Participation Agreement covers five specific areas of understanding. • The period of performance is generally two years, and begins on July 1. • Institutional Requirements • Institutional Commitments • Termination of Participation