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Code of Conduct
The Board of Governors of the State University System recognizes that ensuring the integrity of the student financial aid process is critical to providing fair and affordable access to higher education in Florida. Therefore, the Board has formalized the following guiding principles that shall be effective immediately and must be adopted by each University's Board of Trustees as soon as practicable. These guidelines are designed to avoid any potential for a conflict of interest between the University, its students or their parents in the student financial aid process. Accordingly, each University shall take all reasonable steps to adhere to the following principles in the University's financial aid operations:
1. University employees should receive no personal benefit.
No officer, trustee or employee of the University shall accept anything of on his or her behalf or on behalf of another person or entity from any Lending Institution. For example, cash, stocks, gifts, entertainment, expense-paid trips, etc. should never be accepted from a Lending Institution. Likewise, an individual should never receive payment or reimbursement from a Lending Institution for lodging, meals or travel to conferences or training seminars. However, an officer, trustee or employee of the University may: (a) conduct non-University business with any Lending Institution and, subject to state law, receive value in connection with such non-University business, so long as such value is not intended to influence the officer, trustee or employee in conducting University business; (b) conduct University business and, subject to state law, receive value on behalf of the University that is unrelated to the student loan activities of the Lending Institution; (c) attend conferences and meetings of tax-exempt organizations that are funded or sponsored by more than one entity and, subject to state law, receive materials, refreshments, and other things of like value provided at such professional conferences and meetings; and, (d) hold membership in, serve on the board of or participate in the activities of any tax-exempt organization and, subject to state law, receive travel reimbursements and other things of like value from the tax-exempt organization for such activities.
2. University employees should not serve on lender advisory boards for remuneration.
No officer, trustee or employee of the University who makes financial aid decisions for the University or who is employed in, supervises or otherwise has responsibility or authority over the University's financial aid office shall receive any remuneration for serving as a member or participant of an student loan advisory board of a Lending Institution or any reimbursement of expenses for such service. Any officer, trustee or employee of the University who serves as a member or participant of a Lending Institution board shall recuse himself or herself from any board discussions regarding the University's financial aid operations.
3. The University should not enter into any prejudicial agreement which provides and advantage/benefit to a Lending Institution.
The University shall not accept anything of value from any Lending Institution in exchange for any advantage or consideration provided to the Lending Institution related to its student loan activities, including but not limited to revenue-sharing, printing costs or below-cost computer hardware or software. Likewise, the University shall not allow any Lending Institution to: (a) staff the University's financial aid office at any time; or (b) communicate with the University's students or their parents in such a manner as to create the impression that the Lending Institution is an employee or agent of the University in connection with the University's student financial aid operations, including through the use of mascots, logos, etc.
4. The University is prohibited from:
- Certain contractual agreements. The University shall not enter into any agreement with a Lending Institution to provide alternative (i.e., non-federal or "opportunity") student loan programs if the provision of such alternative loan programs prejudices other students or parents.
- Use of Preferred Lender Lists. The University will not provide a list of preferred lenders for students to use for purposes of obtaining alternative loans.
The University of South Florida System complies with the Florida Board of Governors Regulation adopted December 2007 as follows:
https://www.flbog.edu/wp-content/uploads/StudentLoanConductCode.pdf