Summary

The Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act (Public Law 101-542) was signed into law by President Bush on November 8, 1990. Title I of the Act, the Student Right-to-Know Act (the Act), amended section 485 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 by adding graduation/completion rate and student population information disclosure provisions for all colleges and universities that receive federal student aid. The Act was amended by the Higher Education Technical Amendments of 1991 (Public Law 102-26) and the Higher Education Technical Amendments of 1993 (Public Law 103-208). On October 7, 1998, the Act was again amended when President Clinton signed into law the Higher Education Amendments of 1998 (Public Law 105-244).

The Act requires colleges and universities to disclose information about graduation or completion rates to current and prospective students, upon request,and to provide certain types of data regarding the institution’s student population and the graduation or completion rates of categories of student athletes to the Department of Education and certain individuals who are identified in the law.Noncompliance with the requirements of the Act will affect an institution’s continued participation in the Title IV student financial assistance programs authorized by the Higher Education Act of 1965,as amended.The general policies and procedures that follow have been formulated to facilitate Verve College’s implementation of the requirements of the Act.

Policy

Verve College complies with the requirements of Title I of the Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act,the Student Right-to-Know Act. The requirements of Title I are as follows:

Information on completion or graduation rates

• Each institution that participates in the Title IV student financial assistance programs must prepare annually the completion or graduation rate of its certificate- or degree seeking, full-time undergraduate students, as provided in paragraph (d) below.
• An institution that determines that its mission includes providing substantial preparation for students to enroll in another eligible institution must prepare the transfer-out rate of its certificate- or degree-seeking,full-time undergraduate students.Verve College’s mission does not include providing substantial preparation for its students to transfer to a program at another eligible institution.
• An institution that offers a predominant number of its programs based on semesters,trimesters,or quarters must base its completion or graduation rate and, if applicable, transfer-out rate calculations on the cohort of first-time, certificate- or degree-seeking, full-time undergraduate students who enter the institution during the fall term of each year. An institution must count as entering students only first-time undergraduate students who are enrolled as of October 15, the end of the institution’s drop-add period, or another official reporting date.
• In calculating the completion or graduation rate under paragraph (a), an institution must count as completed or graduated students who have completed or graduated by the end of the 12-month period ending August 31 during which 150 percent of the normal time for completion or graduation from their program has lapsed. For the purpose of calculating a completion or graduation rate, an institution may exclude students who 1) have left school to serve in the Armed Forces; 2) have left school to serve on official church missions; 3) have left school to serve with a foreign aid service of the federal government, such as the Peace Corps; 4) are totally and permanently disabled; or 5) are deceased.
• An institution must make available its completion or graduation rate no later than the July 1 immediately following the 12-month period ending August 31 during which 150 percent of the normal time for completion or graduation has elapsed for all of the students in the group on which the institution bases its completion or graduation rate calculations. This information is to be made available to any enrolled or prospective student, upon request, through appropriate publications, mailings, or electronic media. In the case of a request from a prospective student, the information must be made available prior to the student’s enrolling or entering into any financial obligation with the institution.

Procedures

The Administrator and Campus Manager are responsible for compiling the completion or graduation rate data required.The Administrator and Campus Manager are also responsible for disclosing this information to current and prospective students in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (e).The information is to be disclosed through publication on the Verve College website (www.vervecollege.edu).

Compliance Requirements

Verve College is required to:

• Make available to any enrolled or prospective student, on request through appropriate publications, mailings or electronic media information concerning:
  • Financial assistance available to students enrolled in the institution
  • The institution
  • The institution’s completion or graduation rate
• Make available to enrolled students and current employees the annual security report through appropriate publications and mailings.
• Submit the annual security report to the US Dept. of Education and in the format specified by the DOE.

Compliance Methods

Verve College annually must provide to all enrolled students a notice of the availability of the information required to be disclosed.The notice must list and briefly describe the information and tell the student how to obtain the information.

An institution may satisfy any requirement to disclose information by posting to an Internet Web site. The following rules apply when reporting required information on the web:

• Information disclosed to students by posting on an Internet Web site must be preceded by the notice described above. The notice must also include:
  • The exact electronic address at which the information is posted
  • A statement that the institution will provide a paper copy of the information upon request

Annual Security Report

Enrolled Students must receive notice of the availability of the security report, the exact electronic address and a statement that the institution will provide a paper copy of the information upon request.

Current Employees must receive a notice that includes a statement of the report’s availability,the exact electronic address at which the report is posted,a brief description of the report’s contents and a statement that the institution will provide a paper copy of the report upon request.

Prospective Students / Prospective Employees must receive a notice that includes a statement of the security report’s availability, the exact electronic address at which the report is posted, a brief description of the report’s contents and a statement that the institution will provide a paper copy of the report upon request.

Required Institutional Information

Institutional information that the institution must make readily available upon request to enrolled and perspective students includes, but is not limited to:

The cost of attending the institution including:

• • Tuition and fees charged to full-time and part-time students.
  • Estimates of costs for necessary books and supplies
  • Estimates of transportation costs
  • Any additional cost of a program in which a student is enrolled or expresses a specific interest
  • Any refund policy with which the institution is required to comply for the return of unearned tuition and fees or other refundable portions of costs paid to the institution procedures for officially withdrawing from the institution:
  • A summary of requirements for return of Title IV grant or loan assistance
  • The academic program of the institution including:
    • Current training programs
    • Physical facilities which relate to the academic program
    • Faculty and other instructional personnel
    • Names of associations, agencies or governmental bodies that accredit, approve, or license the institution and its programs.

The institutions must make available for review to any enrolled or prospective student, upon request, a copy of the documents describing the institution’s accreditation, approval or licensing:

• A description of any special facilities available to disabled students
• A statement that the student’s enrollment in a program of study abroad approved for credit by the home institution may be considered enrollment at the home institution for the purpose of applying for assistance under the title IV, HEA programs
• Completion and Graduation Rates
• Institutional Security Policies and Crime Statistics

Notice to Students Regarding Possible Impact Of Criminal Records

Verve College notifies students that arrests, charges, or convictions of criminal offenses may limit employment possibilities in specific careers and occupations and may limit a student’s ability to obtain federal,state, and other financial aid. Students are encouraged to investigate these possibilities.In addition,all students are encouraged to apply for federal, state and other financial aid.