Misrepresentation

34 C.F.R. Part ..., Subpart F
in effectEffective: 2024-07-01

34 C.F.R. § 668.71 Scope and special definitions.

(a) If the Secretary determines that an eligible institution has engaged in substantial misrepresentation, the Secretary may— (1) Revoke the eligible institution's program participation agreement, if the institution is provisionally certified under § 668.13(c); (2) Impose limitations on the institution's participation in the title IV, HEA programs, if the institution is provisionally certified under § 668.13(c); (3) Deny participation applications made on behalf of the institution; or (4) Initiate a proceeding against the eligible institution under subpart G of this part. (b) This subpart establishes the types of activities that constitute substantial misrepresentation by an eligible institution. An eligible institution is deemed to have engaged in substantial misrepresentation when the institution itself, one of its representatives, or any ineligible institution, organization, or person with whom the eligible institution has an agreement to provide educational programs, marketing, advertising, recruiting or admissions services, makes a substantial misrepresentation about the nature of its educational program, its financial charges, or the employability of its graduates. Substantial misrepresentations are prohibited in all forms, including those made in any advertising, promotional materials, or in the marketing or sale of courses or programs of instruction offered by the institution. (c) The following definitions apply to this subpart: Misrepresentation. Any false, erroneous or misleading statement an eligible institution, one of its representatives, or any ineligible institution, organization, or person with whom the eligible institution has an agreement to provide educational programs, or to provide marketing, advertising, recruiting or admissions services makes directly or indirectly to a student, prospective student or any member of the public, or to an accrediting agency, to a State agency, or to the Secretary. A misleading statement includes any statement that has the likelihood or tendency to mislead under the circumstances. A misleading statement may be included in the institution's marketing materials, website, or any other communication to students or prospective students. A statement is any communication made in writing, visually, orally, or through other means. Misrepresentation includes any statement that omits information in such a way as to make the statement false, erroneous, or misleading. Misrepresentation includes the dissemination of a student endorsement or testimonial that a student gives either under duress or because the institution required such an endorsement or testimonial to participate in a program. Misrepresentation also includes the omission of facts as defined under § 668.75. Prospective student. Any individual who has contacted an eligible institution for the purpose of requesting information about enrolling at the institution or who has been contacted directly by the institution or indirectly through advertising about enrolling at the institution. Substantial misrepresentation. Any misrepresentation, including omission of facts as defined under § 668.75, on which the person to whom it was made could reasonably be expected to rely, or has reasonably relied, to that person's detriment.

34 C.F.R. § 668.72 Nature of educational program or institution.

Misrepresentation concerning the nature of an eligible institution's educational program includes, but is not limited to, false, erroneous or misleading statements concerning— (a) The particular type(s), specific source(s), nature and extent of its institutional, programmatic, or specialized accreditation; (b)(1) The general or specific transferability of course credits earned at the institution to other institution(s); or (2) Acceptance of credits earned through prior work or at another institution toward the educational program at the institution. (c) Whether successful completion of a course of instruction qualifies a student— (1) For acceptance into a labor union or similar organization; or (2) To receive, to apply to take, or to take the examination required to receive a local, State, or Federal license, or a nongovernmental certification required as a precondition for employment, or to perform certain functions in the States in which the educational program is offered, or to meet additional conditions that the institution knows or reasonably should know are generally needed to secure employment in a recognized occupation for which the program is represented to prepare students; (d) The requirements for successfully completing the course of study or program and the circumstances that would constitute grounds for terminating the student's enrollment; (e) Whether its courses are recommended or have been the subject of unsolicited testimonials or endorsements by: (1) Vocational counselors, high schools, colleges, educational organizations, employment agencies, members of a particular industry, students, former students, or others; or (2) Governmental officials for governmental employment; (f) Its size, location, facilities, equipment, or institutionally-provided equipment, software technology, books, or supplies; (g) The availability, frequency, and appropriateness of its courses and programs in relation to the employment objectives that it states its programs are designed to meet; (h) The number, availability, and qualifications, including the training and experience, of its faculty, instructors, and other personnel; (i) The nature and availability of any tutorial or specialized instruction, guidance and counseling, or other supplementary assistance it will provide to its students before, during or after the completion of a course; (j) The nature or extent of any prerequisites established for enrollment in a course; (k) The subject matter, content of the course of study, or any other fact related to the degree, diploma, certificate of completion, or any similar document that the student is to be, or is, awarded upon completion of the course of study; (l) Whether the academic, professional, or occupational degree that the institution will confer upon completion of the course of study has been authorized by the appropriate State educational agency; (m) Institutional or program admissions selectivity if the institution or program actually employs an open enrollment policy; (n) The classification of the institution (nonprofit, public or proprietary) for purposes of its participation in the title IV, HEA programs, if that is different from the classification determined by the Secretary; (o) Specialized, programmatic, or institutional certifications, accreditation, or approvals that were not actually obtained, or that the institution fails to remove from marketing materials, websites, or other communications to students within a reasonable period of time after such certifications or approvals are revoked or withdrawn; (p) Assistance that will be provided in securing required externships or the existence of contracts with specific externship sites; (q) Assistance that will be provided to obtain a high school diploma or General Educational Development Certificate (GED); (r) The pace of completing the program or the time it would take to complete the program contrary to the stated length of the educational program; or (s) Any matters required to be disclosed to prospective students under §§ 668.42, 668.43, and 668.45.

34 C.F.R. § 668.73 Nature of financial charges or financial assistance.

Misrepresentation concerning the nature of an eligible institution's financial charges, or the financial assistance provided includes, but is not limited to, false, erroneous, or misleading statements concerning— (a) Offers of scholarships to pay all or part of a course charge; (b) Whether a particular charge is the customary charge at the institution for a course; (c) The cost of the program and the institution's refund policy if the student does not complete the program; (d) The availability, amount, or nature of any financial assistance available to students from the institution or any other entity, including any government agency, to pay the costs of attendance at the institution, including part-time employment, housing, and transportation assistance; (e) A student's responsibility to repay any loans provided, regardless of whether the student is successful in completing the program and obtaining employment; (f) The student's right to reject any particular type of financial aid or other assistance, or whether the student must apply for a particular type of financial aid, such as financing offered by the institution; or (g) The amount, method, or timing of payment of tuition and fees that the student would be charged for the program.

34 C.F.R. § 668.74 Employability of graduates.

Misrepresentation regarding the employability of an eligible institution's graduates includes, but is not limited to, false, erroneous, or misleading statements concerning— (a) The institution's relationship with any organization, employment agency, or other agency providing authorized training leading directly to employment; (b) The institution's intentions to maintain a placement service for graduates or to otherwise assist its graduates to obtain employment, including any requirements to receive such assistance; (c) The institution's knowledge about the current or likely future conditions, compensation, or employment opportunities in the industry or occupation for which the students are being prepared; (d) Whether employment is being offered by the institution exclusively for graduates of the institution, or that a talent hunt or contest is being conducted, including, but not limited to, through the use of phrases such as “Men/women wanted to train for . . . , ” “Help Wanted,” “Employment,” or “Business Opportunities”; (e) Government job market statistics in relation to the potential placement of its graduates; (f) Actual licensure passage rates, if they are materially lower than those included in the institution's marketing materials, website, or other communications made to the student or prospective student; or (g)(1) Actual employment rates, if they are materially lower than those included in the institution's marketing materials, website, or other communications made to the student or prospective student, including but not limited to: (i) Rates that are calculated in a manner that is inconsistent with the standards or methodology set forth by the institution's accreditor or a State agency that regulates the institution, or in its institutional policy. (ii) Rates that the institution discloses to students are inflated by means such as: (A) Counting individuals as employed who are not bona fide employees, such as individuals placed on a 1-day job fair, an internship, externship, or in employment subsidized by the institution; (B) Counting individuals as employed who were employed in the field prior to graduation; or (C) Excluding students from an employment rate calculation due to assessments of employability or difficulty with placement. (2) Upon request, the institution must furnish to the Secretary documentation and other information used to calculate the institution's employment rate calculations.

34 C.F.R. § 668.75 Omission of fact.

An omission of fact is a misrepresentation under § 668.71 if a reasonable person would have considered the omitted information in making a decision to enroll or continue attendance at the institution. An omission of fact includes, but is not limited to, the concealment, suppression, or absence of material information or statement concerning— (a) The entity that is actually providing the educational instruction, or implementing the institution's recruitment, admissions, or enrollment process; (b) The availability of enrollment openings in the student's desired program; (c) The factors that would prevent an applicant from meeting the legal or other requirements to be employed in the field for which the training is provided, for reasons such as prior criminal record or preexisting medical conditions; (d) The factors that would prevent an applicant from meeting the legal or other requirements to be employed, licensed, or certified in the field for which the training is provided because the academic, professional, or occupational degree or credential that the institution will confer upon completion of the course of study has not been authorized by the appropriate State educational or licensure agency, or requires specialized accreditation that the institution does not have; or, (e) The nature of the institution's educational programs, the institution's financial charges, or the employability of the institution's graduates as defined in § 668.72-74.

34 C.F.R. § 668.79 Severability.

If any provision of this subpart or its application to any person, act, or practice is held invalid, the remainder of the subpart or the application of its provisions to any person, act, or practice will not be affected thereby.

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