Lone Star College to appeal findings that it owes $14M
Lone Star College plans to file an appeal to the U.S. Department of Education’s findings that the college system owes nearly $14 million in incorrectly disbursed federal grants and loans.
During a program review of the college, the Department of Education found that more than 6,000 students had incorrectly received Pell Grants, Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants and federal loans over a fouryear period, which made up approximately 2 percent of the almost $663 million awarded to Lone Star College students from 2012 to 2016.
The college system announced the findings at the end of November.
Jennifer Mott, the college’s chief financial officer, said college officials have been reviewing those students’ records since receiving the determination.
“We have begun reviewing them and finding documentation that (some students) were in fact eligible … it’s important that we review all records,” Mott said.
At the Lone Star College board meeting this past week,s the board approved a request for financial aid consultant services to assist with the process.
Mott added that the college is also identifying, by record, the specific cause of the confusion.
For example, if a student were actually eligible to receive federal funds, why they were marked as ineligible in the Department of Education review.
That’s the reason that Mott said she is planning to submit a request sometime during this week for an administrative hearing for a review of the financial liabilities.