Financial Aid Code of Conduct

Cabrini University’s Financial Aid Office abides by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) Statement of Ethical Principles.

Statement of Ethical Principles
Financial aid professionals at Cabrini shall:

Be committed to removing financial barriers for those who wish to pursue post-secondary learning
Make every effort to assist students with financial need
Be aware of the issues affecting students and advocate their interests at the institutional, state, and federal levels
Support efforts to encourage 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, and ensure the confidentiality of student records and personal circumstances
Ensure equity by applying all need analysis formulas consistently across the institution's full population of student financial aid applicants
Provide services that do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, age, or economic status
Recognize the need for professional development and continuing education opportunities
Promote the free expression of ideas and opinions, and foster respect for diverse viewpoints within the profession
Commit to the highest level of ethical behavior and refrain from conflict of interest or the perception thereof
Maintain the highest level of professionalism, reflecting a commitment to the goals of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Loan Award and Certification
Cabrini University shall not assign any first-time borrower's education loans, through award packaging or other methods, to a particular lender.

Nor shall the University refuse to certify, or delay certification of, any loan based on the borrower’s selection of a particular lender or guaranty agency.

Ban on Receipt of Gifts
No officer, employee, or agent of Cabrini shall solicit or accept any “gift” from a lender, guarantor, or servicer of education loans.

“Gift” includes any gratuity, favor, discount, entertainment, hospitality, loan or other item having monetary value of more than a de minimus amount.

This prohibition also applies to gifts to family members of the above individuals when the gift was given with the knowledge and acquiescence of such individual, and the individual has reason to believe the gift was given because of such individual’s official position.

Ban on Revenue-Sharing Arrangements
Cabrini will not enter into any “revenue-sharing arrangement” with any lender.

A “revenue-sharing arrangement” is an arrangement whereby the University recommends to students and family a lender of educational loans, and then in exchange, the lender pays a fee or provides other material benefits, including revenue or profit-sharing, to Carbini, or an officer, employee or agent of Cabrini.

Ban on Contracting Arrangements with Lenders
No officer or employee of Cabrini who is employed in the Financial Aid office or otherwise has responsibilities with respect to education loans, or an agent who has responsibilities with respect to education loans, shall accept from any lender or affiliate of any lender any fee, payment, or other financial benefit (including the opportunity to purchase stock) as compensation for any type of consulting arrangement or other contract to provide services to a lender or on behalf of a lender relating to education loans.

Ban of Staffing Assistance
Cabrini University shall not request or accept from any lender any assistance with call center staffing or financial aid office staffing.

However, this prohibition does not preclude requesting or accepting assistance from a lender related to:

professional development training for financial aid administrators
providing educational counseling, financial literacy or debt management materials to borrowers that identify the lender who assisted in preparing or providing the materials
staffing services on a short term, nonrecurring basis to assist the University with financial aid-related functions during emergencies

Ban on Compensation for Service on Advisory Board
No employee who is employed in Cabrini’s financial aid office, or who otherwise has responsibilities with respect to education loans or other student financial aid of the University, and who serves on an advisory board, commission, or group of lenders or guarantors, shall be permitted to receive anything of value from the lender, guarantor, or group of lenders or guarantors, except for reimbursement for reasonable expenses incurred in serving on such advisory board, commission, or group.