WASHINGTON — West Virginia’s congressional delegation is asking U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to reconsider sanctions placed on state public universities and colleges that limit how institutions provide financial aid.
U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin. D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Republican Reps. David McKinley, Alex Mooney and Evan Jenkins sent the letter Friday, a day after Gov. Jim Justice expressed his frustration over the U.S. Department of Education’s action.
The agency notified schools Tuesday of sanctions that require them to provide federal financial aid payments to students first before seeking reimbursement payments at a later date.
This includes such funds like Pell Grants and federal loans.
Previously, the federal department would provide schools with requested money.
The sanctions were placed as a result of the state failing to turn in its financial audit before the March 31 deadline. The Department of Education has already denied the state’s request to reconsider the provision.
“The people who will be harmed most by these sanctions are the low income students who rely on federal financial assistance to attend college,” the letter said. “All of these students and their institutions will be critically impacted when the heightened cash monitoring delays the disbursement of federal funds to institutions.”
The senators and representatives noted the audit includes around 150 state agency audits.
Jessica Kennedy, senior director of communications at the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, said Thursday higher education institutions and organizations had their materials ready before the deadline.
“The higher education piece of the statewide audit could not be filed with the Department until every single agency had submitted their documentation to the state government,” the letter said.
Justice said in a statement Thursday “heads will roll” once he learns who is responsible for the audit being late. This is the third year in a row the state has failed to turn in its audit on time.
Kennedy said students will likely not notice the effects of the sanctions.