Hampshire College's Student Loan Code of Conduct

Hampshire College, in accordance with the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) of 2008, adheres to a code of conduct related to private education loans. The code of conduct applies to the officers, employees, and agents of the College. Our code of conduct includes the following:

1. We ban revenue-sharing arrangements with any lender in which the lender pays a fee or provides other material benefits, including revenue or profit-sharing, to the College or to its officers, employees, or agents.


2. We ban employees of the financial aid office receiving gifts from a lender, guaranty agency, or loan servicer. No officer or employee of our financial aid office may solicit or accept any gift from a lender, guarantor, or servicer of education loans.


3. We ban contracting arrangements. No officer or employee of our financial aid office may accept from a lender, or an affiliate of any lender, any fee, payment, or other financial benefit as compensation for any type of consulting arrangement or contract to provide services to or on behalf of a lender relating to education loans.


4. We do not steer borrowers to particular lenders or delay loan certifications. We do not refuse to certify, or delay the certification, of any loan based on the borrower's choice of a particular lender or guaranty agency.


5. We prohibit offers of funds for institutional private loans. We do not request or accept from any lender any offer of funds for private loans in exchange for a specified loan volume or a preferred lender arrangement. 


6. We ban staffing assistance from lenders. We do not request or accept from any lender any assistance with financial aid office staffing.


7. We ban advisory board compensation. Any employee of our financial aid office who serves on an advisory board, commission, or group established by a lender(s) or guarantor(s), is prohibited from receiving anything of value from the lender, guarantor, or group, except for reimbursement for reasonable expenses incurred by the employee for serving on the board.