This course is designed for employees of all roles and levels at institutions that participate in federal financial aid programs. The course provides an awareness of prohibited acts which could adversely impact operations, and covers the requirements which must be adhered to in order to maintain good standing with state* and federal regulations as outlined in the Program Integrity rules. Emphasis is on areas of misrepresentation related to advertising and recruitment activities, interactions with prospective students and appropriate communication of disclosures and other publications.

*This course currently covers the regulations for the following states: AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MA, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NM, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA. Course participants can select specific state(s) at the beginning of the course to customize the training content to their state.

Module 1: Doing the Right Thing

• Gain understanding of risks associated with non-compliance of regulations.
• Attain awareness of current Department of Education regulations.
• Increase insight to state-level requirements driven by federal regulations.
• Ensure understanding of Do-Not-Call guidelines and penalties.
• Gain knowledge of guidelines, risks, and penalties related to the CAN-SPAM Act.

Module 2: Prospective Student Interactions

• Gain knowledge of specific guidelines regarding recruitment activities.
• Gain understanding of restrictions specific to referencing job placement.
• Gain insight to restrictions related to program expectations and outcomes.
• Attain knowledge of specific inducements and conduct considered to be inappropriate.
• Ensure understanding of additional areas of potential misrepresentation under scrutiny by federal and/or state agencies.

Module 3: Institution Activities

• Identify relevant state agencies with oversight of higher education institutions for consumer protection.
• Gain knowledge of specific rules regarding advertising and marketing.
• Attain insight into practices that ensure competitive integrity.
• Gain understanding of the numerous disclosure requirements schools must provide.
• Obtain insight into requirements related to catalogs, websites, and other publications.

Module 4: The Human Factor

• Obtain understanding of general experience and qualifications required for specific positions, as well as prohibited backgrounds.
• Gain insight into the licensing and training requirements of key positions and guidelines regarding titles of certain positions.
• Obtain insight into certain duties and responsibilities which require separation to avoid conflict of interest.
• Obtain understanding of compensation limitations related to specific positions, particularly related to the elimination of the federal safe harbors.
• Identify a summary of ethical standards and guidelines for employees within the higher education industry.