Student Loan Code of Conduct
To ensure the highest ethical standards, the Department of Education requires that a “Student Loan Code of Conduct” be published and maintained by all
financial aid offices. Following is the official policy at UNC-Chapel Hill:
At Carolina, we never have and will never:
- Accept payment from any outside entity in exchange for loan referrals or preferential treatment
- Accept gifts from any outside entity in exchange for loan referrals
- A gift is defined as: any gratuity, favor, discount, entertainment, hospitality, loan, or other item having monetary value of more than a de minimus amount.
- A gift IS NOT:
- A brochure used for default aversion or financial literacy
- Food, training, or informational material provided as part of training to improve service
- Entrance or Exit Counseling assistance that does not promote a lender
- Philanthropic contributions unrelated to loans
- State education grants or scholarships
- Accept consulting fees or other contractual financial benefit from a provider of student loans
- Intentionally delay certification of loans from any lender or automatically assign students to a particular lender
- Accept a pool of funds from a lender to establish a University Loan in exchange for federal loan referrals
- Accept services or staffing assistance from any outside entity in exchange for referrals or preferential treatment
- Accept compensation in exchange for appointments to advisory committees or boards of any entity involved in the processing of alternative student loans