The Student Financial Aid Office (SFAO) prohibits revenue-sharing arrangements with lenders. We also do not have a preferred lender list. The SFAO does not give out personal information about any student to lending agencies without the prior permission of the student.
Employees of the SFAO are prohibited from accepting gifts of any value from lenders, guaranty agencies, or loan servicers. 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” does not include:
- Brochures, workshops, or training materials related to default aversion or financial literacy.
- Food provided as part of training related to improving student services or employee professional development.
- Favorable terms and benefits on education loans provided to a student employed by BYU-Idaho if those terms and benefits are comparable to those provided to all students at the institution.
- Entrance and exit counseling as long as BYU-Idaho employees are in control of the counseling and the counseling does not promote the services of a specific lender.
- Philanthropic contributions from a lender, guarantor, or servicer that are unrelated to education loans or any contribution that is not made in exchange for advantage related to education loans, and;
- State education grants, scholarships, or financial aid funds administered by or on behalf of a State.
Contracting arrangements are prohibited. SFAO employees may not accept from a lender, or an affiliate of any lender, any fee, payment, or other financial benefits as compensation for any type of consulting arrangement or contract to provide services to or on behalf of a lender relating to education loans.
Steering borrowers to particular lenders or delaying loan certifications is prohibited. BYU-Idaho does not assign first time borrower loans to any particular lender. We will not refuse to certify or delay the certification of any loan based on the borrower’s selection of a particular lender or guaranty agency.
Lender offers of funds for private loans are prohibited. We will not request or accept from lenders any offer of funds for private loans, including funds for an opportunity pool loan, to students in exchange for providing concessions or promises to a lender for a specific number of Title IV loans made, insured, or guaranteed, a specified loan volume, or a preferred lender arrangement. An “opportunity pool loan” is defined as a private education loan made by a lender to a student (or the student’s family) that involves a payment by the institution to the lender for extending credit to the student.
Lender staffing assistance is prohibited. We will not request or accept from lenders any assistance with call center staffing or financial aid office staffing, except that a lender may provide professional development training, educational counseling materials (as long as the materials identify the lender that assisted in preparing the materials), or staffing services on a short-term, nonrecurring basis during emergencies or disasters.
Lender and guarantor advisory board compensation is prohibited. SFAO employees who otherwise have responsibilities with respect to education loans or financial aid, who also serve on an advisory board, commission, or group established by a lender or guarantor (or a group of lenders or guarantors) shall not receive anything of value from the lender, guarantor, or group, except for reimbursement for reasonable expenses incurred by the employee for serving on the board.
BYU-Idaho does not discriminate on the basis of age in programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance. Federal funding is only used for each program's intended purpose based on our agreements with the Department of Education. We do not contract or employ any individual, agency, or organization that has a history of unlawful conduct with federal funding or has had their access to federal funding suspended. Additionally, if any officer is convicted of a criminal drug offense we will report this to the Department of Education as required.
If students cannot meet their financial obligations because of an unreasonable BYU-Idaho delay in processing federal funds, we will not impose any late fees or penalties.