I think that our college is so aware of the regulations that every one and every department provides the information that they are allowed to provide. We work as a Team, "That is a good questions, let's go talk to that department to get the answer."
When a potential student visits the campus they first hear about the Financial Aid options available to them during the initial conduct with the representative. After this they meet with a Financial Aid representative who goes over their individual situation and schedules for them to come back with 48 hours to a financial aid appointment. At the Financial Aid appointment the student is given a complete breakdown of what they qualify for and what they are reponsible for. The school also provides copies of this information to the student.
I think the most important are pass rates for licensure and placement rates. They need to know that they are prepared to take the boards exam and their chances of employment afterwards.
The reason that most prospective students don't ask questions is likely because they don't know what questions to ask. Or they don't ask questions because they think you are the epitome of the word "expert" and that you would never do anything to mislead them.
The disclosures themselves are obviously important, but I think it's also important to tell a prospect why he or she is being given these disclosures - that it's required by law and the school wants each and every student to get the most out of his or her investment of time, effort and money.
Making sure the student is fully aware of the educational and financial responsibilities up front so they do not have any "shock" information once they begin. Integrity is critical in all aspects of my job.
We meet with students weekly to ensure that they are getting what they need to be successful in their role.
My school it highly ethical when it comes to disclosure. We leave no stone unturned when it comes to integrity requirements. However, it is also surprising to see how many prospective students
ask few questions regarding these issues. In other words, they don't seem to have a good perspective on just how important this area is. All the more reason for honesty in disclosure. It allows them to better relate to how it can effect them for years to come. Also, many of the students have difficulty relating to student loan repayment and responsibilities because they have little or no experience with personal finance and budgeting.
I believe student counseling and resources are the most important. Smart educational decisions lead to smart career decisions , leading to responsible financial decisions. Having counseling in place for students helps them to make smart and responsible decisions.
Misrepresentation regulations should be adherred to by the rep and should be monitored by the school with ongoing training.
It's been of benefit to perspective students and their families to view on our website the specific costs of all programs. Also, a debt caluculator is provided to give accurate estimates of payback.
When families come for a visit to our school they will sit down with one of our financial planners and go over the cost of that particular program. They will know the exact cost for that particular program. They can also go to our website and check what a program costs on our price calculator.
Have the student understand a realistic labor statistic for our area is imperative. We do not inflate the student with state wide labor statistics that are much higher than our own area demographics. It is important the the potential graduate understand a realistic career goal at the end. Free tutoring and career guidance are set forth in quarter one to help the student understnad the expectation now set forth by the education institution and altamentaly ending in their success.
Agreed, there is one way to do this, give the ifo required and make sure they understand.
I believe that the disclosures in conjunction with a thorough admissions interview serve the students best in the long run. That way we as the admissions reps uncover any potential issues up front so that we can adequately address them in time.
I agree with you, Sara! Providing these disclosures provides transparency and allows for students to make informed decisions.
Being upfront and honest with your prospective and admitted students is really one of your greatest tools to promote integrity. Integrity and transparency are crucial in every dealing with students from start to finish.
The most beneficial disclosures for our institution are the consumer disclosures, program disclosures, student right to know and other outcomes information, and the notice of rights under FERPA. The information clearly sets the standard and students are made aware of their rights as to entering into an enrollment.
Another helpful disclosure that we provide is Peer-to-Peer file sharing policies. This warns and explains the legal consequences or file sharing and illegal downloading so the student is aware form the start that computer privileges can be impacted by violation of such policies.
The employment and graduation disclosures are extremely important in order for prospective students to make informed decisions. Understanding financial obligations as well as potential graduate outcomes will help students to better understand their likely return on investment and therefore, make better choices.
I feel that loan counseling is the most important for many students when they are making educational decisions. Students need to be informed with both the pros and the cons of student loans. A student needs to fully understand why student loans are available and what their responsibilities are when they take out student loans. Our school as included a financial aid video for new students to watch that education them how to budget their money wisely and the repercussions of not repaying student loans.
This is such a hard topic of discussion. There are so many people who have unfortunately abused financial aid funds. But then there are so many hard working students who have taken advantage of the opportunity and have made such better lives for themselves. The integrity rules must be in place in order to make sure that this financial aid system is being used for the right reasons and that everything is extremely ethical and compliant.
As we have been reminded in this lesson, when compliance is done properly, there are numerous "wins" for the students, staff, faculty, community and employers.
The additional disclosures that have been added allow the students to be informed about the institution's performance and they allow the students to then make the best educated decisions for themselves and their families.
I agree with Amanda. Providing detailed information about costs, incomes and outcomes will help the prospective student make a good decision based on reality. It isn't just the student that gets hurt. It's the taxpayer as well. We're going to get stuck with the bill.
