The state community college system’s career and technology programs received $72,000 in federal and state funding even though the programs’ certification had expired, a state audit released Tuesday found.
State auditors found that 23 out of 25 programs they reviewed had expired certification, yet some of them still received funding from the Colorado Vocational Act and a federal program. Four expired programs received $44,000 in state funding and $28,000 in federal funding, the audit said.
Out of 25 program applications, 17 lacked evidence of meeting state and federal requirements before they were approved, auditors found. Seven out of 12 applications for new programs said they would prepare students for jobs that the program curriculum didn’t support, the audit said.
The audit also found that $2.4 million in salaries from 2001 to 2005 charged to the federal Perkins loan program did not include required time sheets.
State auditors offered 21 recommendations for the community college system to clean up its record-keeping and make sure instructors and programs have proper credentials.
Nancy McCallin, who became system president three months before the audit began, agreed to implement all of the recommendations – some of which were put in place last July. Major budget cuts to the community college system have affected monitoring capabilities, she said.
“The recommendations will be put in place as quickly as we can within our constrained resources,” McCallin said, who added that the “quality of the programs was not questioned.”
