Employee / Lender Code of Conduct
The Code of Conduct establishes that:
Employees shall not enter into any revenue-sharing arrangement with
any lender where the lender provides or issues a Title IV loan to the student
or student’s family in exchange for the school recommending the lender or
the lender’s loan products in exchange for a fee or material benefit including
profit or revenue sharing that benefits the school or a school’s employee or
agent.
Employees shall not solicit or accept any gift in the form of a gratuity,
favor, discount, entertainment, hospitality, loan, service, transportation,
lodging, meals, reimbursement, or other item having a monetary value of
more than a de minimis (nominal) amount from a lender, guarantor, or
servicer. Certain items and services are exempt from the definition of “gift”
as outlined in Addendum A.
Employees must not accept any fee, payment, or other financial
benefit (including the opportunity to purchase stock) from a lender as
compensation for any type of consulting arrangement or other contract to
provide services to a lender or on behalf of a lender. Exceptions may include
service as outlined in Addendum B.
The school shall not request or accept funds from any lender for
private education loans including funds for an opportunity pool loan to it
students in exchange for the school providing promises of a specified loan
number or volume or a preferred lender arrangement for educational loans.
Employees shall not assign, through award packaging or other
methods, a first-time borrower’s loan to a particular lender or refuse or delay
processing of a loan based on the borrower’s selection of a lender or
guarantor.
Employees shall not accept or request any assistance with call center
or financial aid office staffing from any lender except as allowed by law.
Employees who serve on an advisory board, commission, or group
established by a lender, guarantor, or group of lenders or guarantors, shall be
prohibited from receiving anything of value from the lender, guarantor,
group of lenders or guarantors. However, the employee may be reimbursed
for reasonable expenses incurred in serving on the advisory board,
commission, or group.
Addendum A: Exceptions to the term “gift”.
Materials, activities, or programs related to loan issues, default aversion,
default prevention or financial literacy, such as a brochure, a workshop, or
training.
Food, refreshments, training, or informational material furnished to an
officer or employee of the school or to an agent as a apart to a training
session designed to improve the service of a lender, guarantor, or servicer of
education loans to the school if such training contributes to the professional
development of the school’s staff.
Favorable terms, conditions, and borrower benefits on an education loan
provided to a student employed by the school if the same terms, conditions,
or benefits are comparable to those provided to all students at the school.
Entrance and exit counseling as long as the school’s staff is in control of
the counseling (whether in person or via electronic capabilities) and the
counseling does not promote the products or services of any specific lender.
Philanthropic contributions to a school from a lender, servicer, or
guarantor that are unrelated to education loans and not made in exchange for
any advantage related to education loans.
Education grants, scholarships or financial aid administered by or on
behalf of a State.
Addendum B: Exceptions to “contracting arrangements”.
Paid or unpaid service on a Board of Directors of a lender, guarantor,
or servicer of education loans by an officer or employee of a school who is
not employed in the financial aid office and who does not have
responsibilities with respect to education loans or an agent who does not
have responsibilities with respect to education loans.
Paid or unpaid service on a Board of Directors of a lender, guarantor,
or servicer of education loans by an officer or employee of a school who is
not employed in the financial aid office but who does have responsibilities
with respect to education loans as a result of a position held at the school or
an agent who has responsibilities with respect to education loans if the
school has a written conflict of interest policy that clearly sets forth the
requirement that officers, employees, or agents must recuse themselves from
participating in any decision of the Board with regard to education loans at
the school.
Service by an officer, employee, or contractor of a lender, guarantor,
or servicer of education loans on a Board of Directors or as a trustee of a
school if the school has a written conflict of interest policy the Board
member or trustee must recuse himself/herself from any decision with regard
to education loans at the school