Compliance & audits
What records should I keep?
Keep every record that backs a certification, from enrollment and degree plans to grades, withdrawals, and SAP decisions, for at least 3 years.
Keep everything that supports what you certified, and keep it for at least 3 years. If a surveyor picks any student file, you should be able to show why each certification and amendment was correct.
What goes in my files
- Certifications and amendments, with the remarks you entered.
- Enrollment records and schedules for each certified term.
- Degree plans, including updates after major changes.
- Grade reports and transcripts.
- Drop, withdrawal, and last-date-of-attendance documentation.
- Prior credit evaluations.
- SAP policy, SAP decisions, and appeal packages.
- Correspondence with students and the VA.
School-debt records under Sections 1018 and 1019 have their own clock: keep them at least 3 years after the debt is resolved, and longer if an audit or dispute is pending.