金融援助 Code of Conduct

Statement of Ethical Principles

本道德原则声明规定,机构财务援助专业人员的主要目标是通过提供适当的财务资源来帮助学生实现其教育潜力. 为此目的,本声明规定财务援助专业人员应:

  • 致力于为那些希望接受高等教育的人消除经济障碍.
  • Make every effort to assist students with financial need.
  • 了解影响学生的问题,并在机构中倡导他们的利益, 状态, 联邦层面.
  • Support efforts to encour年龄 students, as early as the elementary grades, to aspire to and plan for education beyond high school.
  • Educate students and families through quality consumer information.
  • Respect the dignity and protect the privacy of students, 并确保学生记录和个人情况的机密性.
  • 通过在机构的所有学生经济援助申请人中一致地应用所有需求分析公式来确保公平.
  • Provide services that do not discriminate on the basis of race, 性别, 种族, 性取向, 宗教, 残疾, 年龄, 或者经济地位.
  • 认识到职业发展和继续教育机会的必要性.
  • Promote the free expression of ideas and opinions, and foster respect for diverse viewpoints within the profession.
  • 致力于最高水平的道德行为,避免利益冲突或其感知.

Code of Conduct for Institutional Financial Aid Professionals

机构财务援助专业人员应在履行其职责的各个方面始终保持专业行为的模范标准, 具体来说,包括与以任何方式参与学生经济援助的任何实体的所有交易, regardless of whether such entities are involved in a government sponsored, 补贴, 或受管制的活动. In doing so, a financial aid professional should:

  • Refrain from taking any action for his or her personal benefit.
  • Refrain from taking any action he or she believes is contrary to law, 监管, or the best interests of the students and parents he or she serves.
  • Ensure that the information he or she provides is accurate, 无偏见的, 且不反映任何因实际或潜在的个人利益而产生的偏好.
  • 在做出决定时要客观,并就涉及学生经济援助的任何方面的任何实体的关系向他或她的机构提出建议.
  • 不要索取或接受任何实体(高等教育机构或政府实体,如美国联邦调查局)的名义价值以外的任何东西.S. Department of Education) involved in the making, 持有, consolidating or processing of any student loans, 包括为咨询机构服务或作为任何此类实体的培训活动的一部分或由任何此类实体赞助的任何有价值的东西(包括报销费用). Disclose to his or her institution, in such manner as his or her institution may prescribe, 任何涉及学生经济援助任何方面的实体的参与或兴趣.

Explanation of the Code of Conduct

财政援助专业人员在截然不同的制度环境中工作,并分享财政援助政策的决策权, 实践, 和程序. 十大正规网堵平台强烈鼓励每位财务援助专业人员与他或她的机构同事合作,以便就各自的义务行为达成共识. 为便于交流,现将《十大正规平台》的内容解释如下:

1. "Refrain from taking any action for his or her personal benefit."
而以模范的方式完成工作应该以职业晋升和认可的形式带来“个人利益”, 这一规定显然与违反个人对学校及其学生及其家长的义务的行为有关. 这包括个人, 或者是他们的家庭成员, 从不接受现金付款, 股票, 俱乐部会员, 礼物, 娱乐, 以上行程, 或其他形式的不适当报酬,从任何商业实体涉及学生经济援助的任何方面. It also relates to actions which, 虽然总的来说可能会支持财务援助专业人员的工作, 是否从备选方案中被选中,因为它们也对财务援助专业人员有利.


2. "Refrain from taking any action he or she believes is contrary to law, 监管, or the best interests of the students and parents he or she serves."
绝不采取违反法律法规的行动这一声明应该是不言而喻的. 但是,请注意“被认为违反法律法规”这一术语的使用." The financial aid professional works in a complex legal environment. 如对某项行为是否合法有任何疑问,应向该机构的法律顾问寻求指导,以解决该问题. 除了, 个人应了解并遵守所有机构政策以及其他地方政策, 适用于他或她的行为或工作表现的州或联邦要求.


3. "Ensure that the information he or she provides is accurate, 无偏见的, 且不反映任何因实际或潜在的个人利益而产生的偏好."
When providing information, at all times the key should be transparency. 学生 and parents should be able to fully understand their rights, 义务, and - of paramount importance - their alternatives. 将这些原则应用于“首选贷方”列表的使用是有指导意义的. If an institution elects to provide such a list, a financial aid professional is expected to demonstrate transparency, 完整性, 学生及其家长明白,他们不需要使用“首选贷款机构”名单上的任何贷款机构, are free to select the lender of their choice, and understand the process for selecting a lender and applying for a loan; The school will promptly certify any loan from any lender selected by a borrower; The process through which "preferred lenders" are selected is fully disclosed; Borrowers are provided with consumer information about the loan products offered by entities on a school's "preferred lender" list. Such information must include the disclosure of competitive interest rates, 条款, and conditions of federal loans; high quality loan servicing; or additional benefits beyond the standard 条款 and conditions for such loans. The process through which students execute Master Promissory Notes preserves a student's right to select the lender of his or her choice; Lenders who are included in a "preferred lender" list disclose agreements to sell their loans to other entities; and the selection of lenders for inclusion on a "preferred lender" list is based solely on the best interests of the students and parents who may rely on such a list.


4. “在做出决定时要客观,并就涉及学生经济援助任何方面的任何实体的关系向他或她的机构提出建议."
财务援助专业人员在推荐或与任何提供与财务援助相关的产品或服务的实体建立业务关系时,必须始终公平. 贷款人不得被列入学校的“优先贷款人”名单,以换取被禁止的诱因. Placement on a "preferred lender" list, 因此, must not be based on benefits provided to the institution, an employee of the institution, or its students in connection with loans not covered by such list. 同样,财政援助专业人员不应安排其他选择(如.e., 非联邦或“机会”贷款十大正规平台,不利于没有获得此类贷款的学生或家长. Transparency also requires that when a student or parent has communication with what he or she believes to be the institution's financial aid office that is precisely what should occur; no employee or 年龄nt of a lender should ever be identified, either directly or by implication, as an employee or 年龄nt of the institution.


5. “不要向任何实体(高等教育机构或政府实体,如美国联邦调查局)索取或接受任何非名义价值的东西. S. Department of Education) involved in the making, 持有, consolidating or processing of any student loans, 包括为咨询机构服务或作为任何此类实体的培训活动的一部分或由任何此类实体赞助的任何有价值的东西(包括报销费用)."
《十大正规平台》的第一个要素禁止为个人利益而行动时产生的利益冲突. 这第五个要素是为了避免在财务援助专业人员接受贷款机构或类似实体的利益时出现利益冲突. 事实是,经济援助专业人员可能无意为贷款人提供利益,因为他或她收到的好处, and indeed does not provide any such advant年龄, 这不是重点. 财务援助专业人员所获得的好处造成了他或她可能不公正的表象, 而且他或她所服务的学生和家长可能并不完全是为了他们的最大利益. 在我们的职业中,这样的外表会造成很大的伤害,必须严格避免. The term "nominal value" leaves some room for interpretation. 这是有意为之:许多州和机构都有规范此类活动的法律和政策, 这些法律和政策通常会明确定义“名义价值”的含义.作为一般指南, and subject to more restrictive laws and policies, a total retail value of not more than $10 should be considered reasonable. 《十大正规网堵平台》这一要素的最后一个组成部分涉及在贷款机构咨询委员会任职或参加贷款机构赞助的培训活动时所产生的旅费和费用的报销. 向贷款人提供独特的专业知识和观点,这当然是有价值的,只有金融援助专业人士才能提供, but receiving any remuneration for such service, even if only in the form of reimbursement for expenses, creates the appearance of conflict that must be avoided. 同样的原则也适用于偿还出借人赞助的培训活动. 专业发展是成为一名有效的财务援助专业人员的关键组成部分, 参加贷款机构赞助的培训十大正规平台是获取最新信息的宝贵途径. 再一次。, 然而, 从他或她的机构以外的来源收取任何报酬, even in the form of reimbursement for expenses, creates the same impermissible appearance of conflict of interest, 必须避免.

6. “以他或她的学校可能规定的方式向他或她的学校披露任何涉及学生经济援助任何方面的任何实体的参与或利益."
The same principle of transparency, or avoiding the appearance of conflict of interest, drives this element of the Code. 每个机构都有披露潜在利益冲突的书面政策, 以及确定员工的参与是否造成了实际的利益冲突或表面上的冲突的过程. 财政援助专业人员有义务严格遵守其所在机构的利益冲突政策的要求, particularly with regard to any activities, 参与, 投资, or interest in any financial aid-related entity. 机构利益冲突政策通常描述需要披露和审查的投资性质, 一般不包括共同基金持有的利息或低于某一最低价值的利息. 实际上, 财务援助专业人员应避免任何投资或与贷款机构和类似实体的财务关系. 这些原则应适用于财务援助专业人员所负责的整个计划的管理, 包括直接贷款, FFELP, and loans originated under the School as Lender program. “道德”和“最佳”做法之间不应该有任何区别. The ethical practice is the best practice. 当出现与这些原则相冲突的实践或政策时, 财务援助专业人员有义务将这一点提请他或她所在机构的负责人注意, and to seek a resolution consistent with these principles.