–A report from the State Auditor’s office questions how some financial aid was distributed at Iowa Lakes Community College but stops short of saying the school acted inappropriately after a former employee reported concerns to state and federal officials. School officials say the report identified no misallocation of grant funding, and questioned some costs related to how certain federal financial aid return amounts were calculated. Arden Kinnander serves as President of the Iowa Lakes Board of Trustees.
The audit looked at federal student aid and institutional grants awarded between July of 2019 and February of 2024. It was conducted following a report to the FBI in June of 2023, that identified concerns regarding student withdrawals, related processes for withdrawals, and grant management at the school. The report to the FBI was made by a former staff member, who was interviewed by the Auditor’s office in March of 2024. Iowa Lakes President Scott Stokes says the school complied with all aspects of the audit process.
The report makes several recommendations to make sure proper financial aid totals are reported and that ineligible financial aid is not distributed to students. The full repot can be downloaded by going to www.auditor.iowa.gov/reports/audit-reports/iowa-lakes-community-college2.
