Audit Season Survival Tips

HEAG ., Community Colleges, Compliance, General Issues in Financial Aid, MA, NY, PA

Surviving audit season.
A few helpful tips on how you can survive your upcoming audit.

1. Be PreparedAudit Ahead
Review the letter from your auditor carefully. If any portion of the letter is unclear, ask the auditor to clarify prior to your meeting. Remember what we tell the students, there is no bad question. Make sure to set aside ample time for accomplishing each task and build in extra time for the unexpected. Review each document carefully before submitting to your auditor. Make the auditor feel welcome. Schedule the meeting space and confirm system access before they arrive on campus and coordinate with your Registrar and Bursar in advance of the onsite visit.

2. Communicate, Motivate, Congratulate
Talk with your staff, brainstorm and layout a game-plan. Delegate and assign audit-related tasks to each staff member. Allowing your staff to become a stakeholder in the process will motivate them to do their best.
Regardless of the outcome, remember to congratulate your staff on making it through the process.

3. Stay Calm
Remember, you will get through this. Find ways to reduce your stress to ensure you stay relaxed and focused throughout the season. Office yoga can be a great way to start.

yoga
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HEAG’s financial aid consultants frequently write about compliance and audit issues. Here are a few articles you may find useful during the audit season: