student consumer information

student consumer information Sec. 131. (a) Section 493 of the Act is amended— (1) by striking out “3 per centum” in subsection (a) and inserting in lieu thereof “4 per centum”; (2) by inserting “(1)” following “1958,” and by inserting before the period a comma and the following: “and (2) shall be used by such institution to carry out the provisions of section 493A of this Act”; (3) by striking “$125,000” in subsection (b) and inserting in lieu thereof, “$325,000”; and (4) by adding at the end of said section, the following new subsection: “(c) Payment received by an institution under this section shall be used first to carry out the provisions of section 493A of this Act and 90 STAT. 2148then for such additional administrative costs as the institution of higher education determines necessary.”. (b) Subpart 1 of part F of title IV of the Act is further amended by inserting immediately after section 493 the following new sections: “institutional and financial assistance information for students “Sec. 493A. (a) (1) Effective July 1, 1977, each institution of higher education and each eligible institution which receives payments tinder sections 411(d), 428(e) or 493 of this title, as the case may be, shall carry out information dissemination activities to prospective students and to enrolled students who request information regarding financial assistance under this title. The information required by this section shall be produced and be made readily available, through appropriate publications and mailings, to all current students and to any prospective student upon request. The information required by this section shall accurately describe— “(A) the student financial assistance programs available to students who enroll at such institution, “(B) the method by which such assistance is distributed among student recipients who enroll at such institution, “(C) any means, including forms, by which application for student financial assistance is made and requirements for accurately preparing such applications and the review standards employed to make awards for student financial assistance, “(D) the rights and responsibilities of students receiving financial assistance under this title, “(E) the cost of attending the institution, including (i) tuition and fees, (ii) books and supplies, (iii) estimates of typical student room and board costs or typical community costs, and (iv) any additional cost of the program in which the student, is enrolled or expresses a specific interest, “(F) the refund policy of the institution for the return of unearned tuition and fees or other refundable portion of cost, as described in clause (E) of this subsection, “(G) the academic program of the institution, including (i) the current degree programs and other educational and teaming programs, (ii) the instructional, laboratory, and other physical plant facilities which relate to the academic program, (iii) the faculty and other instructional personnel, and (iv) data regarding student retention at the institution and, when available, the number and percentage of students completing the programs in which the student is enrolled or expresses interest, and “(H) each person designated under subsection (b) of this section, and the methods by which and locations in which any person so designated may be contacted by students and prospective students who are seeking information required by this subsection. “(2) For purposes of this section, the term ‘prospective student’ means any individual who has contacted an institution of higher education or an eligible institution requesting information for the purpose of enrolling in that institution. “(b) Effective July 1, 1977, each institution of higher education or eligible institution, as the case may be which receives payments authorized, under section 411(d), 428(e), or section 493 of this title shall designate an employee or group of employees who shall be available on a full-time basis to assist, students or potential students in obtaining information as specified in the preceding subsection. The Commissioner may, by regulation, waive the requirement that an 90 STAT. 2149employee or employees be available on a full-time basis for carrying out. responsibilities required under this section whenever an institution of higher education or eligible institution, as the case may be, in which the total enrollment, or the portion of the enrollment participating in programs under this title at that institution, is too small to necessitate such employee or employees being available on a full-time basis. No such waiver may include permission to exempt any such institution from designating a specific individual or a group of individuals to carry out the provisions of this section. “(c) Within 120 days after the date of enactment of the Education Amendments of 1976, the Commissioner shall begin to make available to institutions of higher education and eligible institutions descriptions of Federal student assistance programs including the rights and responsibilities of student and institutional participants, in order to (1) assist students in gaining information through institutional sources, and (2) assist institutions in carrying out the provisions of this section, so that individual and institutional participants will be fully aware of their rights and responsibilities under such programs. “student aid information services “Sec. 493B. In order to assist in the expansion and improvement of campus student aid information services, the Commissioner shall— “(1) survey institutional practices of providing students with complete and accurate information about student financial aid, including the employment of part-time financial aid counselors under work-study programs, hiring other part-time persons from the community, using campus or community volunteers, and communicating through use of publications or technology; collect institutional evaluations of such practices; and disseminate the information described in this clause; “(2) convene meetings of financial aid administrators, students, and other appropriate representatives to explore means of expanding campus financial aid information services and improving the training of part-time individuals involved in such services; “(3) whenever possible, include student peer counselors and other part-time financial aid personnel in training programs sponsored by the Office of Education; and “(4) make recommendations to Congress not later than October 1, 1977, concerning his findings and legislative proposals for improving the use and quality of services of part-time campus financial aid personnel. “student financial assistance training program “Sec. 493C. (a) It is the purpose of this section to make incentive grants, available, to the States to be administered, in consultation with statewide financial aid administrator organizations, for the purpose of designing and developing programs to increase the proficiency of institutional and State financial aid administrators in all aspects of student financial aid. “(b) There are hereby authorized to be appropriated $280,000 for each year ending prior to October 1, 1978, for equal division among the States. “(c) To receive a grant under this section a State must provide appropriate assurance to the Commissioner that the grant will be matched from State funds by an amount at least equal to the amount of the grant. 90 STAT. 2150 “(d) From the funds otherwise allotted to the States for subpart 2 of part A, and for part C and part E of this title for States which have obtained a grant under this section, the Commissioner shall transfer to such State an amount equal to .06 per centum of such funds or $10,000, whichever is less, and shall reduce such State allotment by that amount. “(e) A State which desires to obtain a grant under this section for any fiscal year shall submit an application therefor through or by the State agency administering its program of student grants, or if such agency does not exist, through or by any agency or organization designated for such purpose by the State, at such time or times, and containing such information as may be required by such regulations as the Commissioner may prescribe for the purpose of enabling the Commissioner to disburse the funds.”.