Ethics and Values

NASFAA is committed to ensuring that members, leadership and staff all uphold the utmost ethical principles. We require our members to demonstrate the highest level of professionalism, and exemplify the highest level of ethical behavior in helping students and families find the best ways to pay for college. Association leadership and staff also pledge to uphold the most thorough and rigorous ethical standards.

As such, the association urges all stakeholders to review and adopt our ethical and conduct-focused guidelines. These include NASFAA's

NASFAA has also developed Core Operating Values for NASFAA Staff, which serve as a guide for the conduct of the association's staff, and by which the performance of association staff is evaluated. 

Additional Ethics Resources

Exploring EthicsThe Exploring Ethics series aims to spark discussion among NASFAA members about how NASFAA's Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct can be applied to their daily work in financial aid.

Ask Mr. EthicsEven for those with the best of intentions, adhering to a professional code of conduct can be complex. While some situations are pretty cut and dry, others might fall into more of a gray area. Not to worry, Mr. Ethics here to help! NASFAA's Ask Mr. Ethics series provides a forum for members to ask a question, using an pseudonym, and receive practical advice about how best to deal the situation while also adhering to NASFAA's Statement of Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct. 

NASFAA Releases Updated White Paper on Financial Aid Data Sharing - In response to ED guidance, NASFAA's Ethics Commission, in June 2017, released an update of 2016's white paper, Financial Aid Data Sharing, that explores the issue from both legal and ethical perspectives. This paper was developed to highlight the scope of applicable laws and regulations, analyze case studies and provide recommendations to assist financial aid professionals in navigating the legal restrictions when responding to various types of internal and external data requests. 

NASFAA Data Disclosure Decision Tree - As a complement to NASFAA's June 2017 Financial Aid Data Sharing white paper, NASFAA released this Data Sharing Decision Tree to assist financial aid administrators in responding to internal and external requests for student data.

To report a potential violation of NASFAA's Code of Conduct, refer to the Ethics Complaint Submission Form which will collect the necessary information needed for review by the Ethics Commission. Please be reminded that the goal of NASFAA's enforcement procedures is to first and foremost help institutions come into compliance with the Code. Complainants must be prepared to provide details about any allegation, along with substantiating evidence, if possible. The Commission will not review anonymous complaints, and submissions require a two-step email verification process. Submissions will be reviewed within 30 days. 

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