We are members of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA), the Southeastern Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (SASFAA), and the North Carolina Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NCASFAA).

The primary goal of the financial aid professional is to help students achieve their educational goals through financial support and resources. NASFAA members are required to exemplify the highest level of ethical behavior and demonstrate the highest level of professionalism. The following guidelines were last updated by NASFAA's Board of Directors in March 2014.

NASFAA Statement of Ethical Principles

We, financial aid professionals, declare our commitment to the following Statement of Ethical Principles.

Financial aid administrators shall:

• Advocate for students:
  • Remain aware of issues affecting students and continually advocate for their interests at the institutional, state, and federal levels.
  • Support federal, state and institutional efforts to encourage students, as early as the elementary grades, to aspire to and plan for education beyond high school.
• Manifest the highest level of integrity:
  • Commit to the highest level of ethical behavior and refrain from conflict of interest or the perception thereof.
  • Deal with others honestly and fairly, abiding by our commitments and always acting in a manner that merits the trust and confidence others have placed in us.
  • Protect the privacy of individual student financial records.
  • Promote the free expression of ideas and opinions, and foster respect for diverse viewpoints within the profession.
• Support student access and success:
  • Commit to removing financial barriers for those who want to pursue post-secondary learning and support each student admitted to our institution.
  • Without charge, assist students in applying for financial aid funds.
  • Provide services and apply principles that do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, age, or economic status.
  • Understand the need for financial education and commit to educate students and families on how to responsibly manage expenses and debt.
• Comply with federal and state laws:
  • Adhere to all applicable laws and regulations governing federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs.
  • Actively participate in ongoing professional development and continuing education programs to ensure ample understanding of statutes, regulations, and best practices governing the financial aid programs.
  • Encourage colleagues to participate in the financial aid professional associations available to them at the state, regional, or national level and offer assistance to other aid professionals as needed.
• Strive for transparency and clarity:
  • Provide our students and parents with the information they need to make good decisions about attending and paying for college.
  • Educate students and families through quality information that is consumer-tested when possible. This includes (but is not limited to) transparency and full disclosure on award notices.
  • Ensure equity by applying all need-analysis formulas consistently across the institution's full population of student financial aid applicants.
  • Inform institutions, students, and parents of any changes in financial aid programs that could affect their student aid eligibility.
• Protect the privacy of financial aid applicants:
  • Ensure that student and parent private information provided to the financial aid office by financial aid applicants is protected in accordance with all state and federal statutes and regulations, including FERPA and the Higher Education Act, Section 483(a)(3)(E) (20 U.S.C. 1090).
  • Protect the information on the FAFSA from inappropriate use by ensuring that this information is only used for the application, award, and administration of aid awarded under Title IV of the Higher Education Act, state aid, or aid awarded by eligible institutions.

Refer to NASFAA's Code of Conduct, NASFAA's Enforcement Procedures (PDF), as well as the NASFAA Ethical Principles, Code of Conduct, and Enforcement Procedures Q&A for more information about NASFAA's ethical guidelines and how they are enforced.

Responsible Borrowing

We have links to a number of online financial literacy resources to help students learn how to become responsible borrowers. For more information check the Financial Literacy section for students. Families can find more detailed information on the private loan application process in the loans section on our website.