Student Consumer Information

Per the 2008 Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA), all postsecondary institutions participating in federal financial aid programs are required to make available specific consumer information to current and prospective students in order to assist consumers in making more informed decisions about their education options.

Where applicable, each section lists links where additional information is available. This information is also available by paper copy upon request. Please contact the Financial Aid office at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for hard copies of the information below.

General and Academic Information

• Notice of Availability of Institutional and Financial Aid Information
• Accreditation
• Academic Programs
• Faculty Information
  • Psychology Faculty
  • Education Faculty
  • MBA Faculty
• Transfer Credits
• Disability Services
• Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
• Textbook Information
• Copyright Policy
• Demographics

Academic Program Information

• Psychology Degrees
• Educational Degrees
• MBA in Creative Enterprise

Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) Annual Reporting

• School Performance Fact Sheet
• Academic Catalog
• Annual Report

Note: Reporting periods and data presentation may vary depending whether it is a statistical requirement from the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education or the Department of Education and their respective statistical requirements.

Gainful Employment Disclosure

For program specific gainful employment information, please refer to the links below:

• MA in Psychology
• MA in Counseling Psychology
• PsyD in Clinical Psychology
• PhD in Psychology
• Med in Education Leadership
• EdD in Organizational Leadership
• MBA in Creative Enterprise

Costs and Financial Aid

• Financial Aid Overview
• Cost of Attendance
• Affording Meridian
• Apply for Financial Aid
• Financial Aid Process
• Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy (SAP)
• Leaves, Withdrawals and Refund Policy
• Return of Financial Aid Funds
• Student Loan Repayment Calculators
• Meridian’s Code of Conduct and NASFAA Code of Conduct for Financial Aid Professionals
• Private Alternative Education Loans
• Entrance Counseling
• Exit Counseling

Financial Aid Support and Assistance

The Following links will walk you through the FAFSA and Financial Aid Process.

• Federal Student Aid
• studentaid.ed.gov
• youtube.com/federalstudentaid
• storify.com/FAFSA

• Find types of loans and the amounts a graduate student can borrow:
• studentaid.ed.gov/types/loans/subsidized-unsubsidized#how-much-can-i-borrow

• Check the status of your loan(s) by visiting studentloans.gov

• Retrieve federal student aid information from a central database at nslds.ed.gov

• Loan Repayment information/Debt Counseling:
• usafunds.org
• nelnet.com
• mygreatlakes.org
• studentaid.ed.gov/repay-loans

• Learn more about California financial aid from the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education at www.bppe.ca.gov/students/financial.shtml

• Watch IRS data retrieval tool and instructions at youtube.com/watch?v=W7Uh3SbRaxA

• Find Consolidation/Income-Based Repayment (IBR) Information at studentaid.ed.gov/repay-loans/consolidation

• How to contact the FSA Ombudsman Group: studentaid.ed.gov/repay-loans/disputes/prepare

• More help can be found from the Affordable Colleges Online Resource Center at www.affordablecollegesonline.org/college-resource-center/

• A variety of online calculators, such as financial and investments, mortgage and tax, salary and savings calculators can be found at goodcalculators.com

Budgeting Money

The following links are free online resources to create a budget outline

• Money management portal: practicalmoneyskills.com
• The Dollar Stretcher: stretcher.com
• Tools, investments, news: smartmoney.com
• GradSense Budget Calculator: http://gradsense.org/gradsense/budget-calculator
• Budgeting software: www.mint.com or www.youneedabudget.com

Estimating Cost of Living

• CNN Money Cost of Living Calculator: http://money.cnn.com/calculator/pf/cost-of-living/
• Economic Policy Institute's "Family Budget" Calculator: http://www.epi.org/resources/budget/

Understanding Credit

• Award-winning journalist and best-selling author: jeanchatzky.com
• Information about your FICO Score: myfico.com
• One-stop money management for students: whatsmyscore.org
• Credit counseling: consumercredit.com
• Free annual credit report: annualcreditreport.com

Scholarships

Free scholarship search engines

• fastweb.com
• collegeanswer.com

Remember, watch out for financial aid scams. You should never be asked to pay for scholarship applications.

Additional Financial Aid Resources for Students with Disabilities

MoneyGeek.com offers resources for students with disabilities:

• Scholarships and financial aid for students: www.moneygeek.com/education/college/resources/scholarship-guide-for-students-with-disabilities/
• Understanding ADA laws and rights of workers: www.moneygeek.com/careers/resources/workers-with-disabilities-and-ada/

Cohort Default Rate

Not yet applicable for Meridian

Health and Safety

• Campus Crime and Fire Safety Report
• Anonymous Crime Reporting Form
• Missing Person Procedures
• Drug and Alcohol Abuse Policy
• Notice of Federal Student Financial Aid Penalties for Drug Law Violations
• Violence Against Women
• Sexual Harassment Policy
• Vaccination Policy: Students are encouraged to be responsible for their well-being, however Meridian does not require vaccinations for its students. To learn more, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at www.cdc.gov.

Federal Work-Study Information

For details regarding the Federal Work-Study program, visit the Federal Code of Regulations. Please note Meridian does not participate in the Federal Work-Study program.

Registered Sex Offender Information

The National Sex Offender Public Registry (NSOPW) links public state, territorial, and tribal sex offender registries from one national search site: www.nsopw.gov.

Voter Registration Information

Students who have not registered to vote may do so online by visiting on-line by visiting www.usa.gov/register-to-vote.

Consider celebrating the birthday of the United States government with Constitution Day. Constitution Day commemorates the signing of the U.S. Constitution on September 17, 1787.

Questions and complaints process with the bureau for private postsecondary education. Any questions a student may have regarding the enrollment agreement that have not been satisfactorily answered by Meridian University may be directed to the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education at 2535 Capitol Oaks Drive, Suite 400, Sacramento, CA 95833 or P.O. Box 980818, West Sacramento, CA 95798-0818, www.bppe.ca.gov, (888) 370-7589 (telephone) or (916) 263-1897 (fax), or (916) 431-6959 (telephone) or (916) 263-1897 (fax).