The Higher Education Opportunity Act (Public Law 110-315) (HEOA) was enacted on August 14, 2008, and re-authorizes the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA).  Colleges and universities are required to disclose information to students, parents, and other consumers under the HEOA and the HEA.

Non-Loan Related Disclosure Requirements:

Availability of Institutional and Financial Aid Information

(1)  The Federal Education Right to Privacy Act or FERPA protects you, the student from disclosure of private information once you reach 18 years of age or attend a post-secondary institution. Rights that formerly belonged to your parents are now transferred to you. Some of these are the right to have access to your education records, control over the disclosure of personally identifiable information from your records, and other similar rights. Additional information on FERPA rights can be found in several places. The links below will assist you in understanding your rights.

Pierpont Community & Technical College’s policy regarding FERPA may be found in the “Policy & Compliance” Section of the Academic Catalog. Per regulations, we notify you of your FERPA rights by email at the beginning of each Academic Year. Paper copies are available upon request.

Health or Safety Emergency Information

FERPA permits non-consensual disclosure of education records, or personally identifiable, non-directory information from education records, in connection with a health or safety emergency under § 99.31(a)(10) and § 99.36 of the FERPA regulations. In particular, § 99.36(a) and (c) provide that educational agencies and institutions may disclose information from an education record “to appropriate parties in connection with an emergency if knowledge of the information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other individuals” and that the exception will be “strictly construed.” Congress’ intent that the applicability of this exception be limited is reflected in the Joint Statement in Explanation of Buckley/Pell Amendment, 120 Cong. Rec. S21489 (Dec. 13, 1974). Accordingly, the Department consistently has limited the health and safety exception to a specific situation that presents imminent danger to a student, other students, or other members of the school community – or to a situation that requires the immediate need for information from education records in order to avert or diffuse serious threats to the safety or health of a student or other individuals. For example, the health or safety exception would apply to nonconsensual disclosures to appropriate persons in the case of a smallpox, anthrax or other bioterrorism attack. This exception also would apply to nonconsensual disclosures to appropriate persons in the case of another terrorist attack such as the September 11 attack. However, any release must be narrowly tailored considering the immediacy, magnitude, and specificity of information concerning the emergency. As the legislative history indicates, this exception is temporally limited to the period of the emergency and generally will not allow for a blanket release of personally identifiable information from a student’s education records.

Government Policy Guidance – FERPA

2) Institutional and Financial Aid Contact Information to assist enrolled or prospective students in obtaining information required to be disclosed is:

Pierpont Comunity & Technical College
Office of Student Services
500 Galliher Drive
Fairmont, WV 26554
Phone: 304-367-4907
Fax: 304-367-4881
Email: StudentServices@pierpont.edu

Student Financial Assistance

(3) Student Financial Aid Information:  Prospective and Enrolled students
(4) Notice of Federal Student Financial Aid Penalties for Drug Law Violations. This information is emailed directly to students.

Student Financial Aid Entrance Counseling and Exit Counseling Links

General Institutional Information

(5)  Facilities and Services Available to Students with Disabilities
(6)  Price of Attendance
(7)  Refund Policy
      Requirements for Withdrawal
      Return of Title IV Financial Aid
(8) Academic Program (Educational Programs, Instructional Facilities, and Faculty)
(9) Transfer of Credit Policies
      Current Articulation Agreements
(10) Consumer Information on College Navigator Website
(11) Student Body Diversity and IPEDs Data 2015
(12) Net Price Calculator
(13) Textbook Information
(14) Copyright Infringement Policies and Sanctions (Including Computer Use and File Sharing) Student Aid Handbook Page 38; Copyright BOG Policy 55
(15) Special Fees
(16) Professional Licensure and Certification Determinations

Voter Registration

(17)  Voter Registration Forms

Health and Safety

(18) Vaccinations Policies
(19) Alcohol and Drug Education
(20) Notices of Security Report including Crime Log, Emergency Response, Fire Safety, with Timely Warnings, Hate Crimes

A notice is sent to each enrolled student annually. Copies of the report may be obtained in person from the Department of Public Safety, third floor, Falcon Center, (304) 367-4157.

Student Outcomes

(21) Retention Rate
(22) Completion/Graduation and Transfer-out Rates (including Disaggregate Completion/Graduation rates) , IPEDs Data 2016; 2016 State Report Card
(23) Job Placement Rates and Placement in Employment: Not Applicable since PCTC does not calculate job placement rates.
(25) National Center for Educational Statistics

Loan Related Disclosure Requirements:

(L-1) State Grant Assistance
(L-2) Student Loan Information Published by Department of Education
(L-3) National Student Loan Data System
(L-4) Entrance Counseling for Student Borrowers
(L-5) Exit Counseling for Student Borrowers
(L-6) Private Education Loan Disclosures (Including Self-Certification Form)
(L-7) Code of Conduct for Education Loans
(L-8) Preferred Lender Lists
(L-9) Preferred Lender Arrangements

Other Information

(1) Current Catalog
(2) Constitution Day
(3) Misrepresentation
(4) Availability of Employees for Dissemination of Information
(5) Annual Public Notification Course and Program Civil Rights Statement