Online Education Information & Advice

Looking at compliance as a monthly task, rather than as an annual project, can ease stress and keep your school in the good graces of regulatory and accrediting bodies.

These three quick tips can help you keep compliance top of mind all year long.

1. Check for changes. Check your state board’s website regularly to see if there have been updates to rules and regulations that affect you. Or, call or email your state contact directly.

Accredited? Do the same thing. Typically accrediting agencies post both “calls for comment” and any approved changes in their regulations after commission meetings. This information is usually published on their websites, so take a look in the weeks following the meetings to stay updated.

Planning early in the year saves time – and stress.

2. Start professional development now. Many states and all accreditors require continuing education or professional development for staff and faculty throughout the year. Look at opportunities available now, not just in December. Not waiting until the last minute will create less stress, and allow individuals to choose opportunities that will truly be valuable, rather than whatever is available before the deadline.

“It’s simple, but invaluable. Document everything that needs to be submitted to your state and/or accrediting agency throughout the year on a calendar. That includes things like financials, annual reports, license renewals, and re-accreditation applications.”

3. Build a compliance calendar. It’s simple, but invaluable. Document everything that needs to be submitted to your state and/or accrediting agency throughout the year on a calendar. That includes things like financials, annual reports, license renewals, and re-accreditation applications. You may also want to include meetings or conferences that you are interested in attending so those days stay free. Having everything written down for the entire year ensures you leave enough time to get the submissions done completely and correctly, instead of scrambling before the deadline to complete forms and issue checks. And it increases the chances you’ll submit everything on time – because as we all know, late documents lead to fines and other penalties. In short, they’re not compliant.

4. Implement a robust student information system (SIS) for organizing student data and maintaining financial aid compliance. A key component to maintaining financial aid compliance in educational institutions is the implementation of an effective Student Information System (SIS). This system plays a crucial role in managing compliance with federal regulations concerning student financial aid. Here's a few key ways how:

• Tracking Academic Progress: The SIS should automatically track and report student academic progress against predefined standards, alerting administrators and students about potential issues that may affect financial aid eligibility. This includes monitoring course completions, grade point averages, and progress toward degree completion.
• Managing Return to Title IV (“R2T4”) Calculations: The system must facilitate accurate and timely calculations of the R2T4 amount when students withdraw from the institution. This process involves determining the amount of earned vs. unearned aid, ensuring compliance with federal requirements, and reducing the risk of financial penalties.
• ISIR Corrections and Verifications: The SIS should streamline the handling of Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) corrections and verifications. By automating these processes, the system helps reduce errors and speeds up the time it takes to make necessary adjustments, ensuring that financial aid is awarded based on the most accurate student information available.