Annual Notice of Availability of Institutional and Financial Aid Information

Per the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) as amended by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA), all postsecondary institutions participating in the federal student aid programs are required to disclose certain consumer information annually to currently enrolled students. Meridian publishes this information on the school’s website at Consumer Information catalog and student handbook.

Below is a list of the types of information that is required to be made available to students with direct links to all of the information. For a paper copy of any of the information listed below, please contact the Financial Aid Office.

Institutional and Program Accreditation, Approval, or Licensure

• Meridian is accredited by WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). Meridian is also approved by both the Board of Behavioral Sciences for MFT/LPCC licensure as well as the Board of Psychology for Psychologist licensure.
• Meridian University is licensed to operate by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education. Meridian University was founded in 1993, and has been continuously approved by the State of California to offer higher education degrees. www.bppe.ca.gov. Meridian maintains its compliance with the standards contained in the California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009 (as amended) and Division 7.5 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations.
• The California Board of Behavioral Sciences accepts Meridian University’s Master in Counseling Psychology (MA) degree, Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) degree, and Doctor of Clinical Psychology (PsyD) degree as meeting the educational requirements for licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist in California. Persons interested in licensure are advised to contact the Board of Behavioral Sciences in Sacramento, California to obtain a complete listing of all requirements for licensure.
• The California Board of Behavioral Sciences accepts Meridian University’s Master in Counseling Psychology (MA) degree, Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) degree, and Doctor of Clinical Psychology (PsyD) degree as meeting the educational requirements for licensure as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor in California. Persons interested in licensure are advised to contact the Board of Behavioral Sciences in Sacramento, California to obtain a complete listing of all requirements for licensure.
• The California Board of Psychology accepts Meridian University’s Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) and Doctor of Clinical Psychology (PsyD) degree as meeting the educational requirements for licensure as a psychologist in California. Persons interested in licensure outside of California are advised to contact their state's Board of Psychology to determine their own state's requirements for licensure.
• Information about the institution’s accreditation status is available on Meridian’s website: https://meridianuniversity.edu/about/accreditation.

Student Financial Aid Information

Information regarding financial aid including applicable policies is available on Meridian’s website: https://meridianuniversity.edu/admissions/tuition-and-financial-aid/financial-aid-overview.

The following information related to student financial aid is available via the Financial Aid Office and Meridian’s website:

1. Need and non-need based federal financial aid programs available to students
2. How students apply for aid and how eligibility is determined
3. How aid is awarded and disbursed and the frequency of disbursements
4. The rights and responsibilities of students receiving aid and the criteria for continued student eligibility
5. The terms and conditions of education loans, including sample repayment schedules
6. Loan counseling requirements before receiving a federal loan and when no longer enrolled
7. The necessity of repaying loans and the terms and conditions under which students receiving federal education loans may obtain deferments
8. The criteria for measuring satisfactory academic progress, and how a student who has failed to maintain satisfactory progress may reestablish eligibility for financial aid is available https://meridianuniversity.edu/admissions/tuition-and-financial-aid/satisfactory-academic-progress.

If you are unable to obtain the information you need from the links above, the Financial Aid Office may be contacted at:

Financial Aid Office
47 Sixth Street
Petaluma, CA 94952
(707) 765-1836

Note: Meridian does not have preferred lender arrangements nor does it maintain a preferred lender list

The Financial Aid Overview contains information on eligibility for financial aid, instructions of how to apply, and general conditions.

Cost of Attendance

Information about the cost of attendance, including tuition and fees, books and supplies, and any other additional non-direct costs for a program can be found at https://meridianuniversity.edu/admissions/tuition-and-financial-aid/cost-of-attendance.

Privacy of Student Records – Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

• Information about the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) including the student’s right and procedures to review education records, to request amendment of records, to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information, the institution’s policy regarding disclosures to school officials with a legitimate educational interest and to file complaints with the Department of Education can be found at https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html
• Notice about directory information: “Directory information” may be disclosed to the public by any Meridian University employee unless the student has specifically requested in writing that this information be withheld. Directory information includes name, local address, local telephone number, birth date and place of birth, major, year in school, enrollment status, dates of enrollment, degrees and awards received, most recent attendance of previous educational institution, and anticipated graduation date. For complete policy, please review the following document: https://meridianuniversity.edu/admissions/consumer-information/annual-notification-of-rights-under-ferpa
• For general information regarding FERPA from the US Department of Education, visit http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html

Meridian’s Academic Programs (Educational Programs, Instructional Facilities, and Faculty)

• Academic program information including current degree programs and faculty is available at https://meridianuniversity.edu/academics/degree-programs-overview
• Information about the institution’s transfer of credit policies is available on the Admissions Overview page: https://meridianuniversity.edu/admissions/admissions-overview.
• You can find the Non-Discrimination policy on the Admissions page Overview page: https://meridianuniversity.edu/admissions/admissions-overview
• Find Meridian’s Catalog at https://meridianuniversity.edu/admissions/consumer-information/student-consumer-information

Gainful Employment Disclosures

Gainful employment data can be found on the Consumer Information page: https://meridianuniversity.edu/admissions/consumer-information.

Refund Policy, Requirements for Withdrawal, and Return of Title IV Financial Aid

Information about the institution’s refund policy, requirements for withdrawal, and return of Title IV financial aid policy are available https://meridianuniversity.edu/admissions/tuition-and-financial-aid/leave-withdrawals-and-refund-policy as well as in the Student Handbook.

Statistics

• Information on student success and retention can be found https://meridianuniversity.edu/admissions/resources/student-success/
• Student Body Diversity – please visit the Consumer Information page at https://meridianuniversity.edu/admissions/consumer-information for statistics on the student body.

Peer-to Peer and Copyright Infringement Policies and Sanctions (including computer use and file sharing)

Copyright policies, computer use, file sharing, and sanctions information for violations are available on the website at https://meridianuniversity.edu/admissions/consumer-information/copyright-policy and in the Student Handbook

Textbook Information

Textbooks information is available at https://meridianuniversity.edu/admissions/consumer-information/textbook-information

Facilities and Services Available to Students with Disabilities

Information about the facilities and services available to students with disabilities can be found at https://meridianuniversity.edu/admissions/consumer-information/disability-services.

Violence Against Women

For reporting regarding violence against women, please see the consumer disclosure section https://meridianuniversity.edu/admissions/consumer-information/policy-on-violence-against-women-reauthorization-act-of-2013-or-vawa.

Drug and Alcohol Policy

Information on Meridian’s Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Program and the annual Notice of Penalties for Drug Violations are noted on our website at https://meridianuniversity.edu/admissions/consumer-information/drug-alcohol-and-smoking-policy. For individual counseling, please contact substanceabuseprevention@meridianuniversity.edu.

Annual Security Report and Fire Safety Report

An annual security report including crime statistics and fire incidents (if applicable) in the last three calendar years is available in the Student Handbook and here.

Vaccination Policy

Meridian does not require vaccinations for its students. However, students are encouraged to be responsible for their well-being. Please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at www.cdc.gov for more information.

Voter Registration

Voter registration forms are on the Student Information Tables throughout the year in classrooms. Students may also register to vote on-line at vote.gov