Washington — Capella University, an online, for-profit institution based in Minneapolis, could be asked by the U.S. Education Department to repay more than a half-million dollars in student-aid money.

The department’s inspector general has issued an audit in which it contends that the university overcharged lenders participating in the federal guaranteed-student-loan program, and the department itself, by a total of $588,000.

The inspector general says Capella made a series of mistakes in how it calculates student eligibility for government-subsidized loans, including failing to return all funds disbursed on behalf of students who dropped out before their first day of class.

The university, in a written response to the audit, says it recognizes some past shortcomings in its methods, and suggests it overcharged lenders by a total of $278,883. Capella also says it has made changes to prevent such problems in the future.

The inspector general disagrees with some of the university’s assertions, suggesting in a report to the department that Capella be asked to make further changes, including conducting eligibility checks on its students before it requests federal funds, not afterward. —Paul Basken