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GAO’s recommendations database contains report recommendations that still need to be addressed. GAO’s priority recommendations are those that we believe warrant priority attention. We sent letters to the heads of key departments and agencies, urging them to continue focusing on these issues. Below you can search only priority recommendations, or search all recommendations.

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As of October 25, 2020, there are 4812 open recommendations, of which 473 are priority recommendations. Recommendations remain open until they are designated as Closed-implemented or Closed-not implemented.

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Subject Term: "Capital financing"

1 publication with a total of 2 open recommendations
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Historically Black Colleges and Universities: Action Needed to Improve Participation in Education's HBCU Capital Financing Program
GAO-18-455, Jun 26, 2018
Director: Melissa Emrey-Arras
Phone: (617) 788-0534

2 open recommendations
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Recommendation: As Education develops the required HBCU Capital Financing Program outreach plan, the Executive Director of the program should include in the plan (1) ways to increase outreach to individual HBCUs so that HBCU officials are informed of the program; (2) steps to coordinate directly with state university systems to specifically address state-level challenges to participation and share potential solutions to increase public HBCU participation; and (3) ways to further leverage the designated bonding authority in its efforts. (Recommendation 1)

Agency: Department of Education
Status: Open

Comments: Education identified steps it plans to take to address each of the three components we recommended. First, to increase outreach to individual HBCUs, Education stated it will send letters to presidents and chancellors of eligible HBCUs that are not yet participating, in addition to existing activities. Second, Education stated that it plans to use methods similar to those currently used to reach out to public HBCUs, depending on resources, to coordinate directly with state university systems. Third, Education noted it plans to explore ways to leverage the designated bonding authority to do so. Education also stated that an HBCU's ability to use the program depends on its financial strength, and government resources alone will not ensure financial strength among struggling institutions. We agree; however, it is important to make HBCUs aware of the resources available to them, particularly a federal program that was created to help address HBCUs' capital financing challenges. Education expects to complete these effort by February 28, 2020.
Recommendation: The Executive Director of the HBCU Capital Financing Program should lead an agency effort to analyze various Capital Financing Program loan modifications, including the effects of the loan deferments authorized in the 2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act as well as other potential modifications, to assess the potential benefits to HBCUs participating in the program, the potential cost of these options to the government, and their effect on the program's overall financial stability. (Recommendation 2)

Agency: Department of Education
Status: Open

Comments: Education partially agreed with this recommendation, commenting that it disagreed with the recommendation to the extent that it suggests a modification of loan terms. However, our recommendation does not endorse providing loan modifications to colleges but is focused on analyzing the costs and benefits of modifications authorized by law, as well as other potential modifications. Education noted it will continue to analyze loan modifications and develop cost estimates. Our report noted, however, that Education was not able to provide evidence of analysis it conducted on potential loan modifications. We continue to believe that analysis of costs and benefits is needed to determine whether additional loan modifications are necessary or beneficial for the program. The agency anticipates completing its efforts by December 2025.