The University of South Carolina Beaufort is committed to providing the highest quality
customer service to our students and their families. It is our goal to provide information
and advice, in keeping with federal requirements, and to base decisions and advice
solely by consideration of the best interests of our students and their parents.
To ensure students and their families continue receiving sound and impartial advice
from the financial aid personnel, and to avoid the potential for, or appearance of,
conflicts of interest regarding student loans, The University of SC Beaufort shall
abide by this Code of Conduct in its relationships with lenders, guarantors and servicers
of education loans.
The University of SC Beaufort’s Office of Student Financial Aid/VA prohibits all of the following:
- Revenue sharing agreements with lenders
- Conflicts of Interest
- Accepting gifts above a nominal value from lenders or guarantors
- Accepting private loans conditioned on the use of a lender’s Title IV loans
- Contracting arrangements with a lender that provides compensation to school staff
- Assigning a lender to a borrower or refusing to certify a loan for a borrower’s choice of lender or guarantor
- Accepting from lenders any staffing assistance for call center or financial aid office
- Accepting compensation for service on an advisory board, except that reasonable expenses associated with that service may be reimbursed by the lender or guarantor
For the following purposes, it is not considered a “gift” to the school for a lender
or guarantor to provide:
- Standard materials, activities or programs on issues related to a loan, default aversion, default prevention or financial literacy (i.e. brochures, workshops, training)
- Food, refreshments, training or informational material that is designed to improve the service of a lender, guarantor, or servicer if the training contributes to the professional development of the school staff
- Favorable terms, conditions and borrower benefits, as long as these are provided to all students at the school
- Entrance and exit counseling services, as long as the school controls the counseling and does not promote the products and services of the lender
- Philanthropic contributions not tied to loan volume
While written specifically in association with the administration of student loans
within the Office of Student Financial Aid/VA, the University of South Carolina Beaufort
recognizes that this code applies to all of its administration, faculty, staff, and
affiliated organizations. Further, the University agrees to guard against any relationship
that could be construed to reflect impropriety with regard to the administration of
educational loans within the University.