Code of Conduct

Our Commitment to Transparency

In an effort to ensure that colleges and universities continue to make loan decisions that are beneficial to their students, both federal and state regulators are creating laws and codes that all colleges and universities are adopting which guarantee sound financial aid practices. Listed below are some of the codes to which we subscribe.

Memberships and Affiliations

Quinnipiac University has been a longtime member of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) and subscribes to that organization's Statement of Ethical Principals and Code of Conduct for Financial Aid Professionals. Our seasoned staff are longtime members of the Eastern Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (EASFAA) and our institution belongs to the Connecticut Association of Professional Financial Aid Administrators (CAPFAA). The University has also adopted the Connecticut Code of Conduct and our office adheres to all of the standards and practices that are outlined in this document.

Read the NASFAA Statement of Ethical Principals

Connecticut Code of Conduct

On August 27, 2007, the Connecticut Attorney General announced that all Connecticut institutions of higher education had volunteered to adopt the Connecticut Code of Conduct, which was designed to provide all Connecticut colleges and universities with a clear roadmap that relates to the ethical administration of financial aid. As a matter of fact, Quinnipiac University, one of 17 private colleges and universities in Connecticut, had worked closely with the Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges (CCIC) in helping to draft this code with the Connecticut Attorney General's Office.

Read the Connecticut Code of Conduct (PDF)

Student Loans and Suggested Lenders

Effective July 1, 2010, all colleges and universities are required to process all Federal Stafford and PLUS loans through the government’s Federal Direct Loan Program. Private lenders no longer participate in the federal loan programs.

Quinnipiac University does not provide suggested or recommend lender lists for students or parents inquiring about private educational loans, nor do we recommend one loan program over another. Students are strongly encouraged to exhaust all of their grant, scholarship and federal loan options before considering private loan opportunities.

Private educational loans can often come with higher interest rates and fees along with less favorable terms and conditions than those offered through the federal loan programs. Private educational loans require credit checks and often require credit-worthy cosigners, making them more difficult to secure than federal loans. We strongly urge students, parents and cosigners to research all private loan options carefully as interest rates, fees, terms and conditions can vary widely.

While we do not make private educational loan recommendations, we do guide families toward a website provided by ELM Select, a non-profit organization that provides a lender-neutral comparison tool for students and parents, offering unbiased information on private educational loans, lenders, rates and fees. We also suggest that borrowers pay special attention to your state’s loan programs which can often provide better terms, conditions fees and interest rates.