Executive Order 13607

Principles of Excellence Demonstration of Compliance

Executive Order 13607, signed April 27, 2012, by the President of the United States, established Principles of Excellence (POE) for educational institutions serving service members, veterans, spouses, and other family members. Eight Principles of Excellence are described in the Order.

Compliance with the POE is intended to ensure an institution provides meaningful information to prospective and current military-associated students about the financial cost and quality of the institution; to assist those students in making choices about how to use their federal educational benefits; prevent abusive and deceptive recruiting practices that target the recipients of federal military and veterans educational benefits; and ensure that the institution provides high-quality academic and student support services to the respective group of students. New York Institute of Technology complies with the Principles of Excellence. Demonstration of compliance is provided as follows:

Principle of ExcellenceHow We Comply
1.Prior to enrollment, provide prospective students who are eligible to receive Federal military and veterans educational benefits with a personalized and standardized form, as developed in a manner set forth by the Secretary of Education, working with the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs, to help those prospective students understand the total cost of the educational program, including tuition and fees; the amount of that cost that will be covered by Federal educational benefits; the type and amount of financial aid they may qualify for; their estimated student loan debt upon graduation; information about student outcomes; and other information to facilitate comparison of aid packages offered by different educational institutions.New York Tech provides prospective students with the Federal Shopping Sheet. The Shopping Sheet is a consumer tool to notify admitted students who 1) apply for federal financial aid by filing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) listing New York Tech; and 2) are considering using their Veteran Affairs Educational Benefits. It is a standardized form designed by the U.S. Department of Education with assistance from the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs. Its purpose is to simplify information that students receive regarding cost of attendance and financial aid, so they may easily compare the award information from different institutions to make informed decisions about where to attend school. The net cost on the Shopping Sheet merely reflects a calculation showing the estimated cost of attendance minus the total grants and scholarships awarded based on eligibility after filing the FAFSA. It does not reflect the amount that a veteran student would be responsible to pay after VA educational benefits are applied, and it does not factor in personal choices that may increase or reduce actual cost of attendance.
2.Inform students who are eligible to receive federal military and veterans educational benefits of the availability of federal financial aid and have in place policies to alert those students of their potential eligibility for that aid before packaging or arranging private student loans or alternative financing programs.Veteran-related or active duty education benefits for students are not included on the Shopping Sheet because the amounts cannot be determined until the student has applied to the Veterans Administration or Department of Defense and received a certificate of eligibility.
3.End fraudulent and unduly aggressive recruiting techniques on and off military installations, as well as misrepresentation, payment of incentive compensation, and failure to meet state authorization requirements, consistent with the regulations issued by the Department of Education (34 C.F.R. 668.71-668.75, 668.14, and 600.9).As a member institution of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), we comply with NACAC’s Statement of Principles of Good Practice (SPGP): NACAC’s Code of Ethics and Professional Practices. The SPGP provides clear guiding principles regarding truthfulness and transparency throughout the recruitment and admissions process. Similarly, on the graduate level, we comply with the best practices as provided by NAGAP, the association for graduate enrollment management.
4.Obtain the approval of the institution’s accrediting agency for new course or program offerings before enrolling students in such courses or programs, provided that such approval is appropriate under the substantive change requirements of the accrediting agency.New York Tech is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education located at 3624 Market St., Philadelphia, PA 19104 and chartered by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York. The State Approving Agency (SAA) approves all of New York Tech’s programs as well as the State Education Department (SED) prior to students enrolling in that program.
5.Allow service members and reservists to be readmitted to a program if they are temporarily unable to attend class or have to suspend their studies due to service requirements, and take additional steps to accommodate short absences due to service obligations, provided that satisfactory academic progress is being made by the service members and reservists prior to suspending their studies.New York Tech recognizes that students who are also in the Armed Forces Reserve are subject to call-up for active duty. It is New York Tech policy to make every effort to support and assist students who are in this situation. Students may withdraw from all of their courses and receive a full tuition refund regardless of the number of weeks that have expired in the term. They will receive a W for all their courses regardless of their current class averages. The student must file a Withdrawal from the College form with the Office of the Registrar. Upon return from active duty, the student shall be readmitted without paying the re-matriculation fee. New York Institute of Technology complies with the DoD/EO (Department of Defense – Executive Order) expectations to promptly readmit a service member into the same academic status he or she had when last attended or accepted for admission, when program attendance was interrupted due to service obligations.
6.Agree to an institutional refund policy that is aligned with the refund of unearned student aid rules applicable to federal student aid provided through the Department of Education under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as required under section 484B of that Act when students withdraw prior to course completion.Institutional: A student in the Armed Forces or the New York National Guard who is called to active duty and assigned to a duty station, verifiable by a copy of the orders, will be allowed to withdraw and receive a 100% refund of tuition, and fees provided courses have not been completed. Federal Student Aid: When a student withdraws prior to course completion, New York Tech determines the earned and unearned portions of Title IV aid in accordance with the federal Return to Title IV regulations provided through the Department of Education under the HEA, Section 484B and 34 CFR 668.22.
7.Provide educational plans for all individuals using federal military and veterans educational benefits that detail how they will fulfill all the requirements necessary to graduate and the expected timeline of completion.Admission requirements including prerequisites for applicable programs of study are clearly posted on the New York Tech website. The curriculum and semester maps are also posted on New York Tech’s website to provide additional clarity. Further, admissions staff members are readily available to provide credit evaluations for any of the following populations: first-time freshmen who earned college or AP credit while in high school, transfer students who earned credit or a degree from a previously enrolled college, members of the military who earned college credit during their time in service, and those who sit for CLEP exams or are seeking life-experience credit through their Joint Service Transcript(s). Admissions staff members as well as members of such offices as the Enrollment Services Center and the Academic Enrichment Center provide advisement and assist in registration for our undergraduate students. On the graduate program level, faculty also assist with advisement and registration.
8.Designate a point of contact for academic and financial advising (including access to disability counseling) to assist service member and veteran students and their families with the successful completion of their studies and with their job searches.The Office of Enrollment Services is the designated Point of Contact for veteran students and dependents. Students will be referred to other college offices as needed for specific issues.