§ 668.43 - Institutional and programmatic information.

§ 668.43 Institutional and programmatic information.

(a) Institutional information that the institution must make readily available to enrolled and prospective students under this subpart includes, but is not limited to—

(1) The cost of attending the institution, including—

(i) Tuition and fees charged to full-time and part-time students;

(ii) Estimates of costs for necessary books and supplies;

(iii) Estimates of typical charges for room and board;

(iv) Estimates of transportation costs for students; and

(v) Any additional cost of a program in which a student is enrolled or expresses a specific interest;

(2) 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;

(3) The requirements and procedures for officially withdrawing from the institution;

(4) A summary of the requirements under § 668.22 for the return of title IV grant or loan assistance;

(5) The academic program of the institution, including—

(i) The current degree programs and other educational and training programs;

(ii) The instructional, laboratory, and other physical facilities which relate to the academic program;

(iii) The institution's faculty and other instructional personnel;

(iv) Any plans by the institution for improving the academic program of the institution, upon a determination by the institution that such a plan exists;

(v) If an educational program is designed to meet educational requirements for a specific professional license or certification that is required for employment in an occupation, or is advertised as meeting such requirements, a list of all States where the institution has determined, including as part of the institution's obligation under § 668.14(b)(32), that the program does and does not meet such requirements; and

(

A) A list of all States for which the institution has determined that its curriculum meets the State educational requirements for licensure or certification;

(B) A list of all States for which the institution has determined that its curriculum does not meet the State educational requirements for licensure or certification; and

(C) A list of all States for which the institution has not made a determination that its curriculum meets the State educational requirements for licensure or certification; and

(vi) If a prison education program, as defined in § 668.236, is designed to meet educational requirements for a specific professional license or certification that is required for employment in an occupation (as described in § 668.236(a)(7) and (8)), information regarding whether that occupation typically involves State or Federal prohibitions on the licensure or employment of formerly confined or incarcerated individuals in any other State for which the institution has made a determination about State prohibitions on the licensure or certification of formerly confined or incarcerated individuals;

(6) The names of associations, agencies or governmental bodies that accredit, approve, or license the institution and its programs and the procedures by which documents describing that activity may be reviewed under paragraph (b) of this section;

(7) A description of the services and facilities available to students with disabilities, including students with intellectual disabilities as defined in subpart O of this part;

(8) The titles of persons designated under § 668.44 and information regarding how and where those persons may be contacted;

(9) A statement that a 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;

(10) Institutional policies and sanctions related to copyright infringement, including—

(i) A statement that explicitly informs its students that unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material, including unauthorized peer-to-peer file sharing, may subject the students to civil and criminal liabilities;

(ii) A summary of the penalties for violation of Federal copyright laws;

(iii) A description of the institution's policies with respect to unauthorized peer-to-peer file sharing, including disciplinary actions that are taken against students who engage in illegal downloading or unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials using the institution's information technology system;

(11) A description of the transfer of credit policies established by the institution, which must include a statement of the institution's current transfer of credit policies that includes, at a minimum—

(i) Any established criteria the institution uses regarding the transfer of credit earned at another institution and any types of institutions or sources from which the institution will not accept credits;

(ii) A list of institutions with which the institution has established an articulation agreement; and

(iii) Written criteria used to evaluate and award credit for prior learning experience including, but not limited to, service in the armed forces, paid or unpaid employment, or other demonstrated competency or learning;

(12) A description in the program description of written arrangements the institution has entered into in accordance with § 668.5, including, but not limited to, information on—

(i) The portion of the educational program that the institution that grants the degree or certificate is not providing;

(ii) The name and location of the other institutions or organizations that are providing the portion of the educational program that the institution that grants the degree or certificate is not providing;

(iii) The method of delivery of the portion of the educational program that the institution that grants the degree or certificate is not providing; and

(iv) Estimated additional costs students may incur as the result of enrolling in an educational program that is provided, in part, under the written arrangement;

(13) The percentage of those enrolled, full-time students at the institution who—

(i) Are male;

(ii) Are female;

(iii) Receive a Federal Pell Grant; and

(iv) Are a self-identified member of a racial or ethnic group;

(14) If the institution's accrediting agency or State requires the institution to calculate and report a placement rate, the institution's placement in employment of, and types of employment obtained by, graduates of the institution's degree or certificate programs, gathered from such sources as alumni surveys, student satisfaction surveys, the National Survey of Student Engagement, the Community College Survey of Student Engagement, State data systems, or other relevant sources approved by the institution's accrediting agency as applicable;

(15) The types of graduate and professional education in which graduates of the institution's four-year degree programs enrolled, gathered from such sources as alumni surveys, student satisfaction surveys, the National Survey of Student Engagement, State data systems, or other relevant sources;

(16) The fire safety report prepared by the institution pursuant to § 668.49;

(17) The retention rate of certificate- or degree-seeking, first-time, full-time, undergraduate students entering the institution;

(18) Institutional policies regarding vaccinations;

(19) If the institution is required to maintain a teach-out plan by its accrediting agency, notice that the institution is required to maintain such teach-out plan and the reason that the accrediting agency required such plan under § 602.24(c)(1); and

(20) If an enforcement action or prosecution is brought against the institution by a State or Federal law enforcement agency in any matter where a final judgment against the institution, if rendered, would result in an adverse action by an accrediting agency against the institution, revocation of State authorization, or limitation, suspension, or termination of eligibility under title IV, notice of that fact.

(b) The institution must make available for review to any enrolled or prospective student upon request, a copy of the documents describing the institution's accreditation and its State, Federal, or tribal approval or licensing. The institution must also provide its students or prospective students with contact information for filing complaints with its accreditor and with its State approval or licensing entity and any other relevant State official or agency that would appropriately handle a student's complaint.

(c)

(1) If the institution has made a determination under paragraph (a)(5)(v) of this section that the program's curriculum does not meet the State educational requirements for licensure or certification in the State in which a prospective student is located, or if the institution has not made a determination regarding whether the program's curriculum meets the State educational requirements for licensure or certification, the institution must provide notice to that effect to the student prior to the student's enrollment in the institution in accordance with § 668.14(b)(32).

(2) If the institution makes a determination under paragraph (a)(5)(v) of this section that a program's curriculum does not meet the State educational requirements for licensure or certification in a State in which a student who is currently enrolled in such program is located, the institution must provide notice to that effect to the student within 14 calendar days of making such determination.

(3)

(i) Disclosures under paragraphs (c)(1) and (2) of this section must be made directly to the student in writing, which may include through email or other electronic communication.

(ii)

(A) For purposes of this paragraph (c), an institution must make a determination regarding the State in which a student is located in accordance with the institution's policies or procedures, which must be applied consistently to all students.

(B) The institution must, upon request, provide the Secretary with written documentation of its determination of a student's location under paragraph (c)(3)(ii)(A) of this section, including the basis for such determination.

(C) An institution must make a determination regarding the State in which a student is located at the time of the student's initial enrollment in an educational program and, if applicable, upon formal receipt of information from the student, in accordance with the institution's procedures under paragraph (c)(3)(ii)(A) of this section, that the student's location has changed to another State.

(d)

(1) Program information website. Beginning on July 1, 2026, the Secretary will establish and maintain a website with information about institutions and their educational programs. For this purpose, an institution must provide to the Department such information about the institution and its programs as the Secretary prescribes through a notice published in the Federal Register. The Secretary may conduct consumer testing to inform the design of the website.

(i) The website must include, but is not limited to, the following items, to the extent reasonably available:

(A) The published length of the program in calendar time (i.e., weeks, months, years).

(B) The total number of individuals enrolled in the program during the most recently completed award year.

(C) The total cost of tuition and fees, and the total cost of books, supplies, and equipment, that a student would incur for completing the program within the published length of the program.

(D) Of the individuals enrolled in the program during the most recently completed award year, the percentage who received a Direct Loan Program loan, a private loan, or both for enrollment in the program.

(E) As calculated by the Secretary, the median loan debt of students who completed the program during the most recently completed award year or for all students who completed or withdrew from the program during that award year.

(F) As provided by the Secretary, the median earnings of students who completed the program or of all students who completed or withdrew from the program, during a period determined by the Secretary.

(G) Whether the program is programmatically accredited and the name of the accrediting agency, as reported to the Secretary.

(H) As calculated by the Secretary, the program's debt-to-earnings rates.

(I) As calculated by the Secretary, the program's earnings premium measure. (ii) The website may also include other information deemed appropriate by the Secretary, such as the following items:

(A) The primary occupations (by name, SOC code, or both) that the program prepares students to enter, along with links to occupational profiles on O*NET (www.onetonline.org) or its successor site.

(B) As reported to or calculated by the Secretary, the program or institution's completion rates and withdrawal rates for full-time and less-than-full-time students.

(C) As calculated by the Secretary, the medians of the total cost of tuition and fees, and the total cost of books, supplies, and equipment, and the total net cost of attendance paid by students completing the program.

(D) As calculated by the Secretary, the loan repayment rate for students or graduates who entered repayment on Direct Loan Program loans during a period determined by the Secretary.

(E) Whether students who graduate from a program are required to complete postgraduation training program to obtain licensure before eligible for independent practice.

(2) Program web pages. The institution must provide a prominent link to, and any other needed information to access, the website maintained by the Secretary on any web page containing academic, cost, financial aid, or admissions information about the program or institution. The Secretary may require the institution to modify a web page if the information is not sufficiently prominent, readily accessible, clear, conspicuous, or direct.

(3) Distribution to prospective students. The institution must provide the relevant information to access the website maintained by the Secretary to any prospective student, or a third party acting on behalf of the prospective student, before the prospective student signs an enrollment agreement, completes registration, or makes a financial commitment to the institution.

(4) Distribution to enrolled students. The institution must provide the relevant information to access the website maintained by the Secretary to any enrolled title IV, HEA recipient prior to the start date of the first payment period associated with each subsequent award year in which the student continues enrollment at the institution.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 1845-0022)

[64 FR 59068, Nov. 1, 1999, as amended at 74 FR 55943, Oct. 29, 2009; 75 FR 66954, Oct. 29, 2010; 84 FR 58932, Nov. 1, 2019; 87 FR 65495, Oct. 28, 2022; 88 FR 70187, Oct. 10, 2023; 88 FR 74700, Oct. 31, 2023]