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7285 Old Oak Boulevard Middleburg Heights, OH 44130-3375

440.891.7600 www.polaris.edu

ADULT EDUCATION

STUDENT POLICIES & FINANCIAL AID

CONSUMER HANDBOOK

2016 - 2017

#PolarisMeansJobs

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION I: INSTITUTIONAL INFORMATION About Polaris Career Center .................................................................................6 Accreditation .........................................................................................................7 Job & Career Training Programs ...........................................................................8 Job & Career Training Program Calendar .............................................................9 Adult Education Office Hours ................................................................................9 Adult Education Staff Listing ............................................................................... 11 Polaris Organizational Charts .............................................................................. 12 Polaris Administration & Staff Listing................................................................... 13 Adult Education Instructional Staff Listing ........................................................... 14 SECTION II: FINANCIAL AID Academic Year Definition Policy ......................................................................... 16 Applying for Federal Student Aid ......................................................................... 16 Awarding of Title IV Funds .................................................................................. 18 Confirmation of Citizenship ................................................................................. 19 Default ................................................................................................................. 20 Deferment ........................................................................................................... 20 Dependency Status ............................................................................................. 20 Entrance & Exit Counseling ................................................................................. 21 Federal Return of Title IV Funds Policy ............................................................... 21 Federal Title IV Financial Aid Programs .............................................................. 22 Financial Aid Award Notification .......................................................................... 22 Financial Aid Eligible Job & Career Training Programs ....................................... 23 Forbearance ........................................................................................................ 23 General Verification Policies & Procedures ......................................................... 23 How Funds Are Disbursed .................................................................................. 24 Other Financial Aid Sources ................................................................................ 25 Referral of Overpayments and Fraud Cases ....................................................... 25 Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy .................................................... 26 Special Circumstances ........................................................................................ 27 Statement of Philosophy ..................................................................................... 28 Student Responsibilities for Financial Aid ........................................................... 28 Terms and Conditions of Title IV HEA Loans ...................................................... 28 Withdrawal/Refund Policy ................................................................................... 29 SECTION III: SCHOOL POLICIES & GENERAL INFORMATION Ability to Benefit .................................................................................................. 31 Adult Basic & Literacy Education (ABLE)/ESOL/GED ......................................... 31 Academic/Attendance Probation Policy............................................................... 31 Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism Policy .............................................................. 31 Acceptable Use of Student Information Technology Policy ................................. 32 Admissions/Enrollment Policy ............................................................................. 33 Attendance .......................................................................................................... 34 Background Check Policy ................................................................................... 34 Board of Education Policies and Procedures ...................................................... 34 Care of the Building and Grounds ....................................................................... 34

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Career Portfolio for Program Completers ............................................................ 35 Cell/SMART Phone Usage Policy ....................................................................... 35 Change of Address, Phone Etc. .......................................................................... 35 Copyright Protection ............................................................................................ 35 Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act ....................................................... 35 Dress and Grooming Guidelines ......................................................................... 36 Driving and Parking ............................................................................................. 37 Drug/Alcohol/Substance Abuse (Board Policy) ................................................... 37 Emergency Response and Evacuation Procedures (Crisis Response Plan) ....... 38 Equal Educational Opportunity, Discrimination, and Harassment Policy ............. 38 Evaluation of Program ......................................................................................... 38 Externship/Work-Based Activity .......................................................................... 39 Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA) ............................................. 39 Food .................................................................................................................... 40 Full Service Center Designation .......................................................................... 40 Grade Policy ........................................................................................................ 41 Grievance Policy/Procedure ................................................................................ 41 Job Search Assistance ........................................................................................ 42 Liability ................................................................................................................ 42 National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) Policy ...... 42 Official Files & Records of Students .................................................................... 42 Physically Impaired Students .............................................................................. 42 Program Cancellation Policy ............................................................................... 42 Program Costs ............................................................................................ 43 - 46 Re-Admission Policy ........................................................................................... 46 Re-Testing of Certification Exams/Texts ............................................................. 46 Safety Standards ................................................................................................. 47 School Closing Policy .......................................................................................... 47 Security ............................................................................................................... 47 Smoking .............................................................................................................. 47 Special Accommodations Policy ......................................................................... 47 Student Chemical Abuse Policy (Board Policy) ................................................... 48 Student Data Collection Policy ............................................................................ 49 Student Data Security ......................................................................................... 50 Student Personnel Services ................................................................................ 50 Student Interrogation and Searches (Board Policy) ............................................ 50 Textbook/Materials/Exam Fees ........................................................................... 51 Theft Policy ......................................................................................................... 51 Transcript Request Procedure ............................................................................ 51 Transfer Policies ................................................................................................. 51 Tuition/Payment Plans ........................................................................................ 52 Visitors ................................................................................................................ 52 Weapons (Board Policy) ...................................................................................... 52 Withdrawal/Refund Policy ................................................................................... 54 WorkKeys® Assessments & ACT Test Information ............................................. 54 Adult Education Student Code of Conduct (Board Policy)................................... 55

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SECTION I

INSTITUTIONAL

INFORMATION

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SECTION I INSTITUTIONAL INFORMATION

2016 - 2017 ABOUT POLARIS CAREER CENTER Polaris Career Center has been providing career development, workforce development, and economic development services to individuals, business, industry, labor, communities and other organizations in northeast Ohio since 1975. The Polaris Career Center, which opened in 1975, is located on a 61-acre site in Middleburg Heights, Ohio. The $9 million, 240,000 square-foot center houses 35 classrooms, 30 laboratories, and five conference/resource areas. Additional building features include the following:

First Floor

Staffed visitor Welcome Center

16 large labs (various Industrial, Cosmetology, Science labs)

3 kitchens (for the school restaurant, the bakery, and café)

Café and conference space

Resource media center

4 meeting rooms

10 theory/classrooms with Smart Boards and data projectors

Commons area for student activities (including award ceremonies and graduations)

Adult Education and High School offices

In-house technology department, including laptop carts throughout the building

In-house maintenance department (with in-house custodial services)

Computer lab

Restrooms

Second Floor

9 large labs (Medical, Dental, Public Safety)


Central administration offices

Auditorium (seating for 100)

3 meeting rooms

Restrooms

Third Floor

9 labs (PC and Mac computers, Early Child Care, Medical Billing & Coding, Pharmacy Technician)


Adult Education ABLE (Adult Basic Literacy Education) classrooms/offices

Restrooms

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The Polaris Adult Education Division offers comprehensive education and training services along with hundreds of courses and seminars. Among these are: computer and information technology training, healthcare and industrial trades, basic skills and GED® preparation, career counseling and placement assistance. Many of these services are key to individuals entering the workplace, seeking a new career, or looking to upgrade their skills. A host of personal enrichment classes are also offered. In addition, Polaris Career Center also delivers on-site corporate training and consulting services designed to update the skills of company employees. Whether it’s a one-day computer seminar or human resources consultation, services can be tailored to meet the needs of the business community. In addition, Polaris Career Center provides specialized career and technical training for high school students from the following communities: Berea, Brooklyn, Brook Park, Fairview Park, Middleburg Heights, North Olmsted, Olmsted Falls, Olmsted Township & Strongsville. Since its beginning, Polaris Career Center has granted certificates of completion to over 15,000 high school students, and has served over 1,000,000 adults served through career and technical training and personal enrichment courses. The best sources of information for students are the Polaris Career Center Adult Education catalog and the Student Policies & Financial Aid Consumer Handbook. If you still have unanswered questions, please feel free to contact the Adult Education Office at 440-891-7600. ACCREDITATION Polaris Career Center is accredited by the Commission of the Council on Occupational Education (COE) 7840 Roswell Rd. Building 300, Suite 325, Atlanta, GA 30350, Telephone: 770-396-3898/FAX: 770-396-3790, www.council.org. As a member of the University System of Ohio, Polaris Career Center is governed and approved by the Ohio Department of Higher Education. All instructors are qualified practitioners in their area of instruction with a minimum of three years of related work experience and are certified instructors by the Ohio Department of Education. .

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Adult Education Job & Career Training Programs

2016 - 2017

PROGRAMS PROGRAM LICENSURE/CERTIFICATIONS

AVAILABLE

TOTAL

TUITION

Automotive Service Technician *

Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) G1 $8995

(Materials & Book fees of $726 included)

Cardiographic Technician

Certified Cardiographic Technician (CCT) or, Certified EKG Technician (CET) American Heart Assoc. CPR Certification

$2,995 (Materials & Book fees of

$435 included)

Cosmetology Academy * State of Ohio Cosmetologist License (OSCB) $13,995


Dental Assisting * Commission on Ohio Dental Assistants Certification (CODA) Licensed Ohio Dental Radiographer


$486 included)

Early Child Care Education/Child Development Associate *

Child Development Associate (CDA) $6,995


HVAC/R *

Industry Competency Examination (ICE) EPA Refrigerant Recovery Universal (CFC) NCCER Core Curriculum R-410A Safety Training & Certification for Technicians


$346 included)

Medical Assisting * Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) AED/Adult/Child/Infant CPR & First Aid


$833 included)

Medical Billing & Coding *

Certified Billing & Coding Specialist (CBCS) Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist (CEHRS)


$1656 included)

Natural Resources / Ranger/Basic Peace Officer Academy *

Ohio Peace Officer Training - Basic Peace Officer Certification (OPOTC) American Heart Assoc. First Aid & CPR


$249 included)

Office Administration * Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) $7995


Pharmacy Technician * Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCB) American Heart Assoc. CPR


$633 included)

Phlebotomy Certification Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) American Heart Assoc. CPR


$447 included)

Precision/CNC Machine Technology *

National Institute for Metalworking Skills Precision Machining (NIMS) OSHA 10-Hour Certification


$823 included)

Welding *

American Welding Society - Certified Welder (AWS) NCCER – Welding & Core Curriculum (NCCER) OSHA 10-Hour


$749 included)

(* Indicates Financial Aid Eligible – for those who qualify)

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JOB & CAREER TRAINING PROGRAM CALENDAR

(Classes will not be held on the following dates)

EVENINGS WEEKDAYS WEEKENDS

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Thursday, October 27, 2016

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Wednesday & Thursday November 23 & 24, 2016

Thursday & Friday November 24 & 25, 2016

Saturday & Sunday November 26 & 27, 2016

Saturday December 3, 2016

Monday, December 19, 2016 through

Monday, January 2, 2017

Monday, December 19, 2016 through

Monday, January 2, 2017

Saturday & Sunday December 24 & 25, 2016 and Saturday & Sunday December 31, 2016 & Jan. 1, 2017

Monday, January 16, 2017 Monday, January 16, 2017

Monday, February 20, 2017 Monday, February 20, 2017

Friday, April 14, 2017 Saturday & Sunday April 15 & 16, 2017

Thursday, May 11, 2017

Monday, May 29, 2017 Monday, May 29, 2017 Saturday & Sunday May 27 & 28, 2017

ADULT EDUCATION OFFICE HOURS August 22, 2016 – June 30, 2017 Monday - Thursday ..................... 8:00 AM - 8:30 PM Friday .......................................... 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM* July 3, - August 18, 2017 Monday – Thursday .................... 8:00 AM - 3:30 PM Friday .......................................... 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM

*NOTE: Evening office hours are not available when evening classes are not in session. This occurs during holiday periods and between semesters. To ensure someone will be available to assist you, please phone to confirm our office hours during these periods. ** Financial Aid Coordinator available by appointment. Call 440-891-7612 or email [email protected]. **For questions regarding tuition payments etc. the Administrative Coordinator is available at 440-891-7653 or email [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


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POLARIS CAREER CENTER BOARD OF EDUCATION Mr. Fred Szabo, President Berea City School District Mr. Richard O. Micko, Vice President Strongsville City School District Mr. Bob Hennings Fairview Park City School District Mr. Thomas R. Herbster North Olmsted City School District Mr. James Oper, Brooklyn City School District

Mrs. Debbie Tidwell Fairview Park City School District

Mr. James Weisbarth Olmsted Falls City School District

DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION Robert Timmons Superintendent

Chris McCully Assistant Superintendent

Mike Robinson Treasurer

Karen Rayk Adult Education Director

Chris Mitchell Adult Education Assistant Director

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ADULT EDUCATION STAFF

Adult Education Administrative Staff Adult Education Director 440-891-7641 Karen Rayk [email protected]

Adult Education Assistant Director 440-891-7628 Chris Mitchell [email protected]

Coordinator of Corporate Partnerships 440-891-7622 Pam Vizer [email protected]

Marketing Specialist 440-891-7601 Laura Davies [email protected]

Adult Education Staff Administrative Coordinator 440-891-7653 Mary Koeka [email protected]

Financial Aid Coordinator 440-891-7612 Jessica Hudson [email protected]

Financial Aid/Student Services Coordinator 440-891-7668 Ali Graham [email protected]

Transitions Coordinator 440-891-7697 Theresa Liska [email protected]

Student Employment Liaison 440-891-7651 Maureen Lehman [email protected]

Business Coordinator 440-891-7646 Nada Koury [email protected]

Personal Enrichment Coordinator 440-891-7639 Evelyn Finley [email protected]

Child Care Program Coordinator 440-891-7697 Theresa Liska [email protected]

Student Counselor/Advisor 440-891-7747 Judy Whalen [email protected]

ABLE Coordinator 440-891-7757 Anne Howard [email protected]

Motorcycle Safety Training Coordinator 440-891-7664 Tim Stahlberg [email protected]

Adult Education Support Staff Adult Education Administrative Assistant 440-891-7629 Kelly Halterman

[email protected]

Adult Education Secretary 440-891-7718 Kathryn Flanigan [email protected]

Adult Education Secretary (Evenings) 440-891-7756 Debbie Kulwicki [email protected]

Security Guard - Daytime 440-829-8652 or 440-891-7627 Jeff Traine [email protected]

Security Guard – Evenings 440-829-8652 or 440-891-7627 Dave McGlynn [email protected]



















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POLARIS CAREER CENTER LEADERSHIP ORGANIZATIONAL CHART

ADULT EDUCATION DEPARTMENT ORGANIZATIONAL CHART

Adult Education Director

Coordinators

ABLE InstructorsPersonal

Enrichment Instructors

Continuing Ed Instructors

Support Staff

Student Services

Adult Education Assistant Director

Job & Career Training Program

Instructors

Polaris Career Center

Board of Education

Superintendent

Assistant

Superintendent

Pupil Personnel Director/Principal

SatellitesHigh School Principal

Associate Princiipal

Adult Education Director

Adult Education Assistant Director

Treasurer

Assistant Treasurer Financial Aid Coordinator

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POLARIS CAREER CENTER ADULT EDUCATION ADMINISTRATION & STAFF

NAME TITLE DEPARTMENT

Bob Timmons Superintendent Administration

Mike Robinson Treasurer Administration/Treasurer’s Office

Chris McCully Assistant Superintendent Administration

Karen Rayk AE Director Administration

Chris Mitchell AE Assistant Director Administration

Laura Davies Marketing Specialist Administration

Colleen Aholt Assistant Treasurer Treasurer’s Office

Evelyn Finley AE Personal Enrichment Coordinator AE Coordinator

Ali Graham AE Financial Aid/Students Services Coordinator

AE Coordinator

Anne Howard ABLE Coordinator AE Student Services

Jessica Hudson AE Financial Aid Coordinator Treasurer’s Office

Theresa Liska AE Transitions Coordinator AE Coordinator

Mary Koeka AE Administrative Coordinator AE Coordinator

Nada Koury AE Business Coordinator AE Coordinator

Judy Whalen AE Student Counselor/Advisor AE Student Services

Kelly Halterman AE Secretary AE Student Services

Kathryn Flanigan AE Secretary (part-time daytime) AE Student Services

Debbie Kulwicki AE Secretary (part-time evenings) AE Student Services

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ADULT EDUCATION INSTRUCTIONAL ROSTER

NAME

YEAR

OF EMPLOYMENT

MOST

ADVANCED DEGREE

CERTIFICATIONS AND/OR

LICENSES

EXPERIENCE

PHONE NUMBER

EMAIL ADDRESS

Jason Johndro Autoservice Technician

2016 HS Diploma ASE Master Certificate

25 yrs./field 440-891-7600 [email protected]

Robert Jindra Cardiographic Technician

2014 HS Diploma CCT 4 yrs./field 440-891-7600 [email protected]

Sandy Hernandez Cosmetology Academy

2007 High School Diploma

Cosmetology/ Manager License Instructor License

32 yrs/Field 27 yrs/Salon Ownership

440-891-7659 shernand@ polaris.edu

Diane Salvatore Cosmetology Academy

2016 Associates Degree

Instructor License

8yrs field experience, 3 as a product educator

440-891-7600 [email protected]

Ashley Carnes Dental Assisting


CODA CDA EFDA

5 yrs/Field 440-891-7600 acarnes@ polaris.edu

Lori Jamiol Dental Assisting


CDA EFDA

15 yrs/Field 440-891-7600 ljamiol@ polaris.edu

Phyllis O’Connell Early Child Care Education/CDA

2012 Master of Education

PDS, Early Childcare Professional Level VI

27 yrs/Field 440-891-7682 poconnel@ polaris.edu

Eric Noss HVAC/R


HVAC Ohio License #45889

32 yrs/Field 440-891-7663 [email protected]

Amy Hrouda-Traum Medical Assisting

2015 Associates of Applied Science

CMA 13 yrs/Field 440-891-7710 [email protected]

Jehad Ouri Medical Assisting


CMA 11 yrs/Field 440-891-7710 [email protected]

Meri Jopek, R.N. Medical Billing and Coding

2010 Masters in Healthcare Administration

RN, MHSA, CBCS, CMH

43 yrs/Field 440-891-7600 mjopek@ polaris.edu

Ernst Oergel, Commander OPOTA

2002 Bachelor of Science

OPOTC 32 yrs/Field 440-891-7670 eoergel@ polaris.edu

Paul Shephard, Assistant Commander, OPOTA

2005 Master of Education

OPOTC 20 yrs/Field 440-891-7613 jtraine@ polaris.edu

Sean Flanigan, Assistant Commander, OPOTA

2002 Bachelor of Science

OPOTC 22 yrs/Field 440-891-7600 [email protected]

Linda Lloyd Office Administration


27 years in field

440-891-7600 [email protected]

Stephanie Garthrite Pharmacy Technician


4 years of Pharmacy School PT Certification

17 yrs/Field 440-891-7600 sgarthri@ polaris.edu

Diane Neil, Phlebotomy Certification


ASCP, CPT 36 yrs/Field 440-891-7600 dneil@ polaris.edu

Johnathan Veneziano, Precision/CNC Machine Technology

2016 Associates Degree in Manufacturing

Tool & Dye Journeymen

8 yrs./Field 440-891-7600 jvenezia@ polaris.edu

Chris Conrad Precision/CNC Machine Technology


Tool & Dye Journeymen Instrument Maker- Journeymen

36 yrs/Field 440-891-7600 cconrad@ polaris.edu

John Napier, Welding


Journeyman 42 yrs/Field 440-891-7600 jnapier@ polaris.edu

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SECTION II

FINANCIAL AID

INFORMATION

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SECTION II FINANCIAL AID

2016 – 2017 ACADEMIC YEAR DEFINITION POLICY

The student’s Title IV aid is applied to an academic school year of 900 clock hours over 26 weeks

which is the Award Year definition used by Polaris Career Center for all of its programs. Funds are

divided into two payment periods consisting of one-half of the hours and weeks of the student’s

program. In the first payment period, Polaris will receive one disbursement in the student’s name

which will total one-half of the student’s Title IV aid and the remaining half of aid will be issued in one

disbursement during the second payment period.

FEDERAL TITLE IV FINANCIAL AID PROGRAMS

Pell Grant Overview

The maximum Pell grant award a student may receive based on EFC=0 $5,815.00 for a 900+ clock hour program

$4,652.00 for a 720-clock hour program $4,542.16 for a 703-clock hour program $3,876.67 for a 600-clock hour program

The Pell grant is given with no repayment expected.

The Pell Grant is designed to provide a “floor” upon which other financial aid programs are built. Any student wishing to receive a Federal Pell grant at this institution must meet the eligibility requirements established by the U.S. Department of Education

Award amounts are based on the student’s EFC, calculated from the previous year’s income information submitted on the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).

Pell grant funds are meant to assist students with tuition and will not cover tuition costs completely. Students are required to self-pay the balance of tuition not covered by the Pell grant and/or the student may apply for a student loan.

All Pell grant funds, when received, are applied directly to the student’s tuition balance.

To remain eligible for Pell grant funds, the student must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).

Students may consider applying for a William D. Ford student loan to pay the additional tuition costs not covered by the Pell grant. It is suggested that a student wishing to complete a student loan application do so at the same time they complete their Pell grant (FAFSA) application. A student loan is only activated after a student registers for a program and accepts the award.

William D. Ford Student Loan Overview

Student loans must be repaid to the federal government. After students graduate, leave school, or drop below half-time enrollment, they will have a six-month grace period before they are required to begin repayment. The student will receive communication from an assigned servicing agency the U.S. Department of Education chooses to manage the loan repayments.

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Subsidized Loans are available for students with demonstrated financial need, as determined by federal regulations. No interest is charged while the student is attending school.

Unsubsidized Loans are not based on financial need. Interest starts accruing after the first disbursement. The maximum amount that can be borrowed is $6,000 (less agency processing fee) for a 900 clock hour program and $4,000 (less agency processing fee) for a 600 clock hour program. Undergraduate Lifetime Loan Limits apply.

Annual Loan Limits for Independent and Dependent students (as recognized on the FAFSA) also apply. The Annual Loan Limits for both subsidized and unsubsidized loans for dependent students are $5,500 and for independent students $9,500. (No more than $3,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans)

Agency processing fee will be assessed by the United States Department of Education (USDOE) on loan amounts requested by student.

For further information, visit www.studentloans.gov or contact the Financial Aid/Student Services Coordinator at 440-891-7668.

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Adult Education Job & Career Training Programs

2016-2017 Financial Aid Maximums

PELL GRANT DIRECT LOANS

Based on EFC=0 and assuming full subsidized loan eligibility

600-Clock Hour Program LOAN AMT.

NET AMT.

$3,876.67

Independent Subsidized $ 2,333 $2,308

Unsubsidized $ 4,000 $3,957

Dependent Subsidized $ 2,333 $2,308


703-Clock Hour Program

$4,542.16





720-Clock Hour Program

$4,652.00





900+ Clock Hour Program

$5,815.00





NOTE: Cosmetology Academy: 1st year 900 Hr, 2nd year 600 Hr (2nd year is based on 17-18

year FAFSA)

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Students are responsible for submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA application is reviewed, processed by the U.S. Department of Education and sent to the school of the student’s choice.

Students should add the Polaris Career Center School Code 016745 to their application.

It is highly recommended the student start the application process for all financial aid options well in advance of registering for a program.

All financial aid must be confirmed with the Financial Aid Coordinator before registration can be initiated.

PROGRAMS ELIGIBLE FOR FINANCIAL AID

900+ clock hours – (for those students who qualify)

Cosmetology Academy (+ 600 clock hours in year 2) Dental Assisting Early Child Care Education/Child Development Associate Medical Assisting Medical Billing & Coding

720-clock hours – (for those students who qualify)

Automotive Service Technician Office Administration

703-clock hours – (for those students who qualify)

Natural Resources/Ranger/Basic Peace Officer Academy (OPOTA) 600-clock hours – (for those students who qualify)

Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning, & Refrigeration (HVAC/R) Pharmacy Technician Precision/CNC Machine Technology Welding

PELL GRANT INFORMATION

The maximum Pell grant award a student may receive based on EFC=0 $5,815.00 for a 900+ clock hour program

$4,652.00 for a 720-clock hour program $4,542.16 for a 703-clock hour program $3,876.67 for a 600-clock hour program

Award amounts are based on the student’s EFC (Expected Family Contribution) reported on the SAR (Student Aid Report) that is calculated from the student’s previous year’s income information submitted on the FAFSA.

Pell grant funds are meant to assist students with tuition and will not cover tuition costs completely. Students may consider applying for a William D. Ford Student Loan to pay the additional tuition costs not covered by the Pell grant. It is suggested that a student complete the student loan requirements at the same time they complete their FAFSA.

WILLIAM D. FORD STUDENT LOAN INFORMATION:

A student loan must be repaid to the Federal government. The student will receive communication from an assigned servicing agency the U.S. Department of Education chooses to manage the loan repayments. The servicing agency will charge a small percentage to disburse your loan, therefore, the loan amount borrowed by the student will be less this percentage when received by Polaris Career Center. A student loan is activated after a student registers for a program and accepts the award.

Subsidized Loans No interest accrues while the student is attending school.

Unsubsidized Loans Interest starts accruing on loans with the first disbursement.

APPLYING FOR THE PELL GRANT:

Step 1 –

Collect items that will help in completing the

FAFSA application, for example: 2015 tax returns,

bank statements, welfare statement, assets, child

support etc. Applicants under the age of 24 must

include their parent’s financial information in the

application.

APPLYING FOR WILLIAM D. FORD FEDERAL STUDENT LOAN:

Step 1 –

Compete Steps 1-4 under “APPLYING FOR THE

PELL GRANT”

Step 2 –

Visit https://studentloans.gov

Step 3 –

Log in using the student’s FSA ID user name and

https://studentloans.gov/

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Step 2 –

Visit https://fsaid.ed.gov and apply for an FSA ID

username and password. The FSA ID replaces

the Federal Student Aid PIN number. If you

already have a PIN, you can link your information

to your new FSA ID by entering your PIN while

registering for your FSA ID. If the student is under

the age of 24, a parent maybe required to also

apply for a FSA ID user name and password.

Step 3 –

Complete a 2016-2017 FAFSA application form

on-line at https://fafsa.ed.gov

The Polaris Career Center school code is:

016745

The student will receive an email to the email

address provided on the FAFSA from the U.S.

Department of Education when the FAFSA has

been processed successfully.

Step 4 –

The student will receive (within 3-5 days) another

email with the student’s SAR (Student Aid Report).

Step 5 –

After receiving the SAR report, the student is

responsible for contacting the:

password.

Step 4 –

Carefully read the information regarding the loan

process, subsidized and unsubsidized loans,

processing/servicing fees, interest rates, and

repayment.

Step 5 –

Complete and submit “Entrance Counseling”.

Step 6 –

Complete and submit the “Master Promissory

Note” (MPN).

Step 7 –

The student is responsible for confirming loan

approval and the amount the student wishes to

borrow, by contacting the:

A student loan is only activated after a student

registers for a program and accepts the award

Step 8 –

Once the student’s Pell grant and/or student loan

amounts have been confirmed, the student may

register in-person at Polaris Career Center.

Step 9 –

Complete and submit “Exit Counseling” at

https://studentloans.gov before graduation or

withdrawal.

Students who have not satisfied grade and attendance requirements, have completed verification, and/or have not provided all required student loan documentation will not receive

financial aid awards as listed per the policies in the Adult Education Student Policies & Financial Aid Consumer Handbook.

AWARDING OF TITLE IV FUNDS (Pell and Direct Loans) All Title IV funds are awarded based on the information received from the FAFSA application. The student must complete the FAFSA application to be eligible for Title IV funds. The FAFSA application can be found at www.fafsa.ed.gov. After successful completion and submission of the FAFSA application, the student will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) indicating the student’s Estimated Family Contribution (EFC). The Estimated Family Contribution is subtracted from the Cost of Attendance Budget (COA) to determine financial need. COA – EFC = NEED The Concept of “Need Analysis” For all Title IV Programs (Pell Grant & William D. Ford Student Loan) a student enrolled at Polaris Career Center must:

Financial Aid/Student Services Coordinator 440-891-7668

All financial aid awards must be confirmed with the Financial Aid/Student Services Coordinator before registration can be initiated.

Financial Aid/Student Services Coordinator 440-891-7668

All financial aid awards must be confirmed with the Financial Aid/Student Services Coordinator before registration can be initiated.

https://fsaid.ed.gov/

https://fafsa.ed.gov/

https://studentloans.gov/

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Have financial need, except for some loan programs.

Be enrolled in a program that is at least 600 clock hours and 15 weeks in length.

Be attending at least 16 clock hours per week.

Meet Satisfactory Academic Progress standards set by the school.

Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.

Register with the Selective Service if male who is at least 18.

Not be incarcerated in a federal or state penal institution.

Have a high school diploma or GED certificate

Have a valid Social Security Number.

Sign a statement on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) certifying that the student will use federal student aid only for educational purposes.

Sign a statement on the FAFSA certifying that the student is not in default on a federal student loan and does not owe money back on a federal student grant.

Not have been convicted under federal or state law of the sale of or possession of drugs while receiving financial aid. (Student may still be eligible depending on the number of offenses and when they occurred.)

Must provide information in order for school to obtain financial aid history.

May not have property that is subject to a judgment lien for a debt owed to the United States government.

Note: Students who hold a bachelor’s degree or higher are not eligible for Pell grants. The Financial Aid Coordinator will not certify any student for receipt of Federal financial aid funds unless all eligibility criteria have been confirmed. CODE OF CONDUCT FOR EDUCATIONAL LOANS Polaris Career Center adopts and adheres to the Code of Conduct established by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrator’s (NASFAA). See full disclosure under ‘Code of Conduct for Polaris Career Center Financial Aid Professionals’ below.

Code of Conduct for Polaris Career Center Financial Aid Professionals A Polaris Career Center Financial Aid professional is expected to maintain exemplary standards of professional conduct in all aspects of carrying out his/her responsibilities, specifically including all dealings with any entities involved in any manner in student financial aid, regardless of whether such entities are involved in a government sponsored, subsidized, or regulated activity. In doing so, a Polaris Career Center financial aid professional should:

Refrain from taking any action that is for his/her personal benefit or could be perceived as a

conflict of interest.

Be objective in making decisions, refrain from taking any action he/she believes is contrary to

law, regulation. Or the best interest of the students and parents he/she serves.

Ensure that the information he/she provides is accurate, unbiased and does not reflect any

preference arising from actual or potential personal gain.

Disclose to his/her institution any involvement, interest in, or potential conflict of interest with

any entity with which the institution has a business relationship.

No amount of cash, gift, or benefits in excess of a De Minimis amount shall be accepted by a

financial staff member from any financial aid applicant (or his/her family), or from any entity

doing business with or seeking to do business with the institution (including service on advisory

committees or boards beyond reimbursement for reasonable expenses directly associated with

such service).

22

Financial aid staff members will not award aid to themselves or their immediate family

members. Another staff member will be designated to perform this task, to avoid the

appearance of a conflict of interest.

23

COST OF ATTENDANCE

Program Automotive Service Technology (10 Months)

DEPENDENT STUDENT

EXPENSES MONTHS IN ACADEMIC

YEAR MONTHLY

ALLOWANCE TOTAL

Tuition & Fees $ 8,269.00

Books & Supplies $ 726.00

Personal Expenses 10 $ 299.00 $ 2,990.00

Room & Board 10 $ 486.00 $ 4,860.00

Dependent Care $ -

Transportation $ 1,684.80

$ 18,529.80

INDEPENDENT STUDENT


YEAR MONTHLY

ALLOWANCE TOTAL




Room & Board 10 $ 955.00 $ 9,550.00

Dependent Care $ -


$ 23,219.80

Program Cosmetology (600 Hour Portion - 2nd Year - 10 Months)

DEPENDENT STUDENT


YEAR MONTHLY

ALLOWANCE TOTAL

Tuition & Fees 10 $ 576.04 $ 5,760.40

Books & Supplies 10 $ 60.09 $ 600.90


Room & Board 10 $ 486.00 $ 4,860.00

Dependent Care $ -


$ 15,939.30

INDEPENDENT STUDENT


YEAR MONTHLY

ALLOWANCE TOTAL

Tuition & Fees 10 $ 576.04 $ 5,760.40

Books & Supplies 10 $ 60.09 $ 600.90


Room & Board 10 $ 955.00 $ 9,550.00

Dependent Care $ -


$ 20,629.30

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Program Cosmetology Academy (900 Hour Portion - 1st year - 12 Month)

DEPENDENT STUDENT


YEAR MONTHLY

ALLOWANCE TOTAL

Tuition & Fees 12 $ 576.04 $ 6,912.48

Books & Supplies 12 $ 60.09 $ 721.08


Room & Board 12 $ 486.00 $ 5,832.00

Dependent Care $ -


INDEPENDENT STUDENT


YEAR MONTHLY

ALLOWANCE TOTAL

Tuition & Fees 12 $ 576.04 $ 6,912.48

Books & Supplies 12 $ 60.09 $ 721.08


Room & Board 12 $ 955.00 $ 11,460.00

Dependent Care $ -


$ 24,755.16

Program Dental Assisting (11 Month)

DEPENDENT STUDENT


YEAR MONTHLY

ALLOWANCE TOTAL




Room & Board 11 $ 486.00 $ 5,346.00

Dependent Care $ -


$ 20,358.00

INDEPENDENT STUDENT


YEAR MONTHLY

ALLOWANCE TOTAL




Room & Board 11 $ 955.00 $ 10,505.00

Dependent Care $ -


$ 25,517.00

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Program Early Child Care/CDA (10 Month)

DEPENDENT STUDENT


YEAR MONTHLY

ALLOWANCE TOTAL




Room & Board 10 $ 486.00 $ 4,860.00

Dependent Care $ -


$ 16,951.00

INDEPENDENT STUDENT


YEAR MONTHLY

ALLOWANCE TOTAL




Room & Board 10 $ 955.00 $ 9,550.00

Dependent Care $ -


$ 21,641.00

Program HVAC/R DAY (Daytime Program - 5 Month)

DEPENDENT STUDENT


YEAR MONTHLY

ALLOWANCE TOTAL




Room & Board 5 $ 486.00 $ 2,430.00

Dependent Care $ -

Transportation $ 864.00

$ 13,784.00

INDEPENDENT STUDENT


YEAR MONTHLY

ALLOWANCE TOTAL




Room & Board 5 $ 955.00 $ 4,775.00

Dependent Care $ -


$ 16,129.00

26

Program HVAC/R (Evening Program - 9 Month)

DEPENDENT STUDENT


YEAR MONTHLY

ALLOWANCE TOTAL




Room & Board 9 $ 486.00 $ 4,374.00

Dependent Care $ -


$ 17,442.40

INDEPENDENT STUDENT


YEAR MONTHLY

ALLOWANCE TOTAL




Room & Board 9 $ 955.00 $ 8,595.00

Dependent Care $ -


$ 21,663.40

Program MEDICAL ASSISTING (10 Month)

DEPENDENT STUDENT

EXPENSES MONTHS IN

ACADEMIC YEAR MONTHLY ALLOWANCE TOTAL

February start one-half of 16-17

Tuition & Fees $ 9,162.00 $ 4,581.00

Books & Supplies $ 833.00 $ 416.50

Personal Expenses 10 $ 299.00 $ 2,990.00 $ 1,495.00

Room & Board 10 $ 486.00 $ 4,860.00 $ 2,430.00

Dependent Care $ - $ -

Transportation $ 1,728.00 $ 864.00

$ 19,573.00 $ 9,786.50

INDEPENDENT STUDENT

EXPENSES MONTHS IN

ACADEMIC YEAR MONTHLY ALLOWANCE TOTAL FEB start 1/2 16-17

Tuition & Fees $ 9,162.00 $ 4,581.00

Books & Supplies $ 833.00 $ 416.50

Personal Expenses 10 $ 299.00 $ 2,990.00 $ 1,495.00

Room & Board 10 $ 955.00 $ 9,550.00 $ 4,775.00

Dependent Care $ - $ -

Transportation $ 1,728.00 $ 864.00

$ 24,263.00 $ 12,131.50

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Program Medical Billing & Coding (Daytime Program - 10 Months)

DEPENDENT STUDENT


YEAR MONTHLY

ALLOWANCE TOTAL


Books & Supplies $ 1,656.00


Room & Board 10 $ 486.00 $ 4,860.00

Dependent Care $ -


$ 19,076.20

INDEPENDENT STUDENT


YEAR MONTHLY

ALLOWANCE TOTAL




Room & Board 10 $ 955.00 $ 9,550.00

Dependent Care $ -


$ 23,766.20

Program Medical Billing & Coding (Evening Program - 11 Months)

DEPENDENT STUDENT


YEAR MONTHLY

ALLOWANCE FEB start 1/2 16-17




Room & Board 11 $ 486.00 $ 2,673.00

Dependent Care $ -


$ 10,265.40

INDEPENDENT STUDENT


YEAR MONTHLY

ALLOWANCE FEB start 1/2 16-17




Room & Board 11 $ 955.00 $ 5,252.50

Dependent Care $ -


$ 12,844.90

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Program Natural Resources/Ranger/Basic Peace Officer Academy ( 8 Months)

DEPENDENT STUDENT

EXPENSES MONTHS IN ACADEMIC YEAR MONTHLY

ALLOWANCE TOTAL




Room & Board 8 $ 486.00 $ 3,888.00

Dependent Care $ -


$ 15,073.00

INDEPENDENT STUDENT

EXPENSES MONTHS IN ACADEMIC YEAR MONTHLY

ALLOWANCE TOTAL




Room & Board 8 $ 955.00 $ 7,640.00

Dependent Care $ -


$ 18,825.00

Program OFFICE ADMINISTRATION (9 Months)

DEPENDENT STUDENT


YEAR MONTHLY

ALLOWANCE TOTAL




Room & Board 9 $ 486.00 $ 4,374.00

Dependent Care $ -


$ 16,356.00

INDEPENDENT STUDENT


YEAR MONTHLY

ALLOWANCE TOTAL




Room & Board 9 $ 955.00 $ 8,595.00

Dependent Care $ -


$ 20,577.00

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Program PHARMACY TECHNICIAN (10 Months)

DEPENDENT STUDENT


YEAR MONTHLY

ALLOWANCE TOTAL




Room & Board 10 $ 486.00 $ 4,860.00

Dependent Care $ -


$ 17,029.80

INDEPENDENT STUDENT


YEAR MONTHLY

ALLOWANCE TOTAL




Room & Board 10 $ 955.00 $ 9,550.00

Dependent Care $ -


$ 21,719.80

Program PRECISION/CNC MACHINE TECHNOLOGY (10 Months)

DEPENDENT STUDENT


YEAR MONTHLY

ALLOWANCE TOTAL




Room & Board 10 $ 486.00 $ 4,860.00

Dependent Care $ -


$ 18,573.00

INDEPENDENT STUDENT


YEAR MONTHLY

ALLOWANCE TOTAL




Room & Board 10 $ 955.00 $ 9,550.00

Dependent Care $ -


$ 23,263.00

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Program WELDING (9 Months)

DEPENDENT STUDENT


YEAR MONTHLY

ALLOWANCE TOTAL




Room & Board 9 $ 486.00 $ 4,374.00

Dependent Care $ -


$ 17,485.60

INDEPENDENT STUDENT


YEAR MONTHLY

ALLOWANCE TOTAL




Room & Board 9 $ 955.00 $ 8,595.00

Dependent Care $ -


$ 21,706.60

DEFAULT A student who is in default (has ceased to make repayments on any previous student loans) is not eligible to receive a Pell Grant or a student loan. Polaris Career Center contracts with Wright International Student Services (WISS) to assist students with loan repayment (www.wiss.info). DEFERMENT A student can receive a deferment on a previous loan, if he/she meets the requirements, by contacting their lender or loan servicer and requesting a deferment form. A borrower who requests a deferment should continue making loan payments until he/she receives notification from the lender that the deferment has been approved. DEPENDENCY STATUS Some students have supported themselves for several years and their parents are not expected to contribute toward their school expenses. Such students are called “Independent Students” and for them, the financial aid process works differently because parental income is not considered. However, if an independent student is married, his/her spouse’s income is considered even if they were not married when they filed taxes. Students are considered Independent if they meet any one of the following criteria:

Have reached the age of 24 prior to January 1st of the upcoming award year

Are enrolled in a graduate or professional educational program beyond a Bachelor’s Degree

Are married as of the date the FAFSA is submitted

http://www.wiss.info/

31

Have children who receive more than half of their support from the student Note: Having a child does not automatically make the student independent. The student must

be providing over 50% of the child’s support.

Have dependents (other than your children or spouse) that live with you and receive more than half of their support from you-- now and through the end of the award year

Both parents are deceased, or they are an orphan, or Ward of the Court (or were a Ward of the Court until age 18)

Currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces (other than training)

A Veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces

An emancipated minor

An unaccompanied youth who is homeless or in danger of being homeless If the student does not meet any of the above criteria, then the student is considered a “Dependent Student” and his/her parents must complete part of the FAFSA and provide their financial information. It is not unusual for a student between the ages of 18 and 24 to move away from his/her parents and have a full-time job. This is a “life choice.” ENTRANCE & EXIT COUNSELING A borrower must complete Entrance and Exit Counseling to review rules, regulations, policies and procedures of the Direct Loan Program. The counseling processes must be done online at www.studentloans.gov. Entrance counseling must be completed prior to the student’s first financial aid disbursement. Exit counseling is required after the program’s second disbursement date and prior to the student leaving school.

If the student has Federal loans, an Exit Interview packet must be mailed within thirty (30) days of withdrawal date. This packet contains: a) Letter to remind the student of their obligation to inform the lender that they are no

longer in school.

b) Exit Interview Package

c) Instructions for returning the form to the school

d) Return envelope.

The student is instructed in the letter to complete the Exit Interview form and return it to the Financial Aid Coordinator. A copy of the letter must be kept in the student’s financial aid file. Students not completing Exit Counseling will not be issued a Career Portfolio/ Official Transcript until completed. FEDERAL RETURN OF TITLE IV FUNDS The law specifies how the school must determine the amount of Title IV program assistance that has been earned if a student withdraws from school. The Financial Aid Coordinator will perform a Return of Title IV Funds calculation when a federal student financial aid (Title IV) recipient withdraws from his/her program. This process ensures that the institution correctly calculates the amount of federal student financial aid earned by the student and returns any unearned funds back to the respective

http://www.studentloans.gov/

32

federal student financial aid program(s). In some cases, the student will be required to return unearned Title IV funds. In addition, the Return of Title IV process may result in the student owing the school for unpaid tuition and fees. The requirements for Title IV program funds when students withdraw are separate from the institutional refund policy. Therefore, the student may still owe a balance to the school to cover unpaid institutional charges. For students who notify the school they are withdrawing, the school uses the last date of attendance at the official date of determination for the Return of Title IV calculations. For students who withdraw without notifying the school, the school will use ten calendar day absences to determine that the student has unofficially withdrawn. The last day that the student ceased attending will then be used as the withdrawal date for calculating any return of Federal funds to the U. S. Department of Education. If a student has a Federal loan, it is his/her responsibility to inform the funding agency/lender that he/she is no longer in school. It is also the student's responsibility to arrange for completion of Federal loan exit counseling. Note: Students who withdraw from the school will not receive transcripts unless all financial obligations are met. The portion of Title IV funds a student is allowed to retain is calculated on a percentage basis by dividing the total number of clock hours scheduled to be completed as of the withdrawal date in the period, by the total clock hours in the payment period. For example, if the student withdrew at 114 scheduled clock hours of a payment period that has 500 clock hours, the student has completed 22.8% of the period and therefore has earned 22.8% of federal student financial aid that was disbursed or could have been disbursed. That means that 77.2% of the aid that was disbursed or could have been disbursed remains unearned and must be returned to the federal student financial aid programs(s). A student earns 100% of federal financial aid once he or she has completed more than 60% of the scheduled clock hours in the payment period. If the amount of aid disbursed to the student is greater than the amount of aid earned by the student, the unearned portion must be returned to the federal student financial aid program(s). In returning unearned funds, the school is responsible for returning the portion of the excess equal to the lesser of:

1) The institutional charges for the payment period multiplied by the unearned percentage of

funds, or

2) The entire amount of excess funds.

A student may be required to return excess unearned Title IV funds. However, if the excess unearned funds consist of Title IV loans, then the student repays the loan(s) in accordance with the terms and conditions of the promissory note. If the excess unearned funds consist of a Title IV grant, the student is required to repay only the portion which exceeds 50 percent of the amount of grant received over $50. If the amount of aid disbursed to the student is less than the amount of aid earned by the student, a post-withdrawal disbursement may be available to assist the payment of any outstanding tuition and fee charges on the student’s account. The post-withdrawal disbursement will be made from Title IV grant funds before available Title IV loan funds. If part of the post-withdrawal disbursement is a

33

grant, the institution may apply the grant funds to tuition and fees or disburse the grant funds directly to the student. If a student is eligible to receive a post-withdrawal disbursement from Title IV loan funds, the student will be asked for his/her permission to either disburse the loan funds to the student’s account to reduce the balance owed to the institution, or disburse the excess loan funds directly to the student. The school has 30 days from the date it determines the student withdrew to offer the post-withdrawal disbursement of a loan to the student The student has 14 days from the date sends the notification to accept the post-withdrawal disbursement in writing. If the student accepts the post-withdrawal disbursement, the school will make payment as soon as possible, but no later than 180 days from the student’s withdrawal date. No portion of the post-withdrawal disbursement of loan funds will be disbursed if the student (or parent) does not respond to the notification. Once the unearned portion of the return of funds has been calculated, the Financial Aid Coordinator will return the aid to the appropriate federal student financial aid program(s) within 45 days of the date of determination that the student withdrew. The order of return is specified below. The unearned funds will be “charged back” to the student’s tuition account, and this may result in unpaid tuition and fees. The student will then be billed for any unpaid institutional charges that result from the return of funds to the Title IV programs, and will be responsible for full payment. A student will not be allowed to re-enter, register, or receive an official academic transcript until the outstanding balance has been paid in full. Unearned Title IV funds will be returned to the federal student aid programs in the following order: 1. Unsubsidized Direct Loan 2. Subsidized Direct Loan 3. Federal Pell grant Any student who has terminated his/her training without notifying the school and has an outstanding tuition amount due will be sent a letter explaining the outstanding tuition charges owed and the amount credited to their account from the financial aid program they were entitled to receive. Only the amount owed to the school from the Pell grant Program will be disbursed and applied to their outstanding balance. Students with post-withdrawal loan funds will have to give the school permission to disburse the funds. RETURNING FUNDS: Return calculations are performed for any Title IV recipient who receives funds and does not complete his/her training program. The following process is used for returning funds.

1) The Financial Aid Coordinator completes a Return to Title IV Form for Clock Hour Institutions.

2) A copy of the completed form is forwarded to the third party servicer so a downward adjustment to the student’s original disbursement and award can be made.

3) The third party servicer transmits the downward adjustments to COD and provides the Financial Aid Coordinator with an “Approved’ Return report.

4) The Financial Aid Coordinator provides the Treasurer’s Office with the “approved” report so that the funds can be returned to the appropriate G5 program account.

Time frame for returning an unclaimed Title IV credit balance: Polaris Career Center Treasurer’s Office will disburse the tuition credit balance by check. If the check is not cashed, Polaris Career Center must return the funds to the Department no later than 240 days after the date Polaris Career Center issued the check.

34

FINANCIAL AID AWARD NOTIFICATION After the student’s Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) is received by the Financial Aid Coordinator, the student’s eligibility and aid amount will be determined based on the Payment Schedule for Full-Time Scheduled Awards as determined by the U.S. Department of Education. The estimated award amounts will be discussed with the student and applied toward his/her tuition account. The estimated award amounts will be given to the Adult Education Registration Staff and will be entered on the student’s Tuition Agreement - any balance remaining will be the student’s responsibility to pay. A written Financial Aid Award Notification letter will be sent to the student after the official registration process has been completed and programs have started. Students receiving loans will also receive notification from the U.S. Department of Education and from their assigned loan servicer. A processing fee is applied to all loans by the U.S. Department of Education before funds are sent to the school. FORBEARANCE A borrower who is financially unable to make required loan payments can request the lender to grant forbearance. Forbearance allows the temporary cessation of payments, allowing an extension of time for making payments, or temporarily accepting smaller payments than were previously scheduled. The student should contact the lender or loan servicer for further information. GENERAL VERIFICATION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES Students will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) by email if they included an email address when completing the FAFSA. The SAR is a copy of the student’s processed FAFSA information. If there is an asterisk next to the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) number on the SAR, the student has been selected for verification by the U.S. Department of Education. The Financial Aid Coordinator will let the student know what documents are needed to complete the verification. A Verification Form will be provided to the student with a list of supporting documentation needed and the student (and parent if the student is a dependent student) is to complete and sign the document. Until the Verification Form is signed and the documents requested are returned to the Financial Aid Coordinator and the accuracy of the financial data used to calculate the student’s EFC is verified, no funds will be requested for the student.

Verification Items:

Adjusted gross income (AGI)

U.S. income tax paid

Education credits

Untaxed IRA distributions

Untaxed pensions

IRA deductions and payments

Tax-exempt interest

Other untaxed income

Income earned from work

Household size

Number in college

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps)

Child support paid

High school completion status

Identity/statement of educational purpose

35

Note: Students must complete the required verification process prior to the Financial Aid Coordinator making any professional judgment decisions to adjust any values that are used to calculate the student’s EFC. ACCEPTABLE VERIFICATION DOCUMENTATION

IRS Data Retrieval

Verification Worksheet

Other Documentation in Lieu of Worksheet or Data Retrieval

Household Size √ Signed statement

Number in College √ Signed statement or institutional certification

AGI and Taxes Paid √ Tax return transcript, copy of tax return, Form W-2, Form 4868, or a signed statement

Untaxed Income and Benefits

√ Tax return transcript, copy of tax return, Form W-2, Form 4868, or a signed statement

SNAP Benefits √ Signed statement or agency documentation

Child Support Paid √ Signed statement

Income Earned from Work for Non-tax Filers

√ Signed statement and Form W-2

Correction Procedure: The following procedure will be used to correct misstated applicant information: Upon receipt of the verification documentation, the Financial Aid Coordinator will compare the information contained on the applicant’s original FAFSA with the information requested in the verification package. If it is determined that the applicant has misstated information, the applicant will be required to correct all the misstated data items on the application, and obtain all necessary signatures. When the Financial Aid Coordinator receives the corrected FAFSA it will be compared again to the information in the verification package. If it is determined that an applicant’s award changes as a result of verification, a new EFC will be determined. Polaris Career Center may also select students for verification if the student information conflicts with information provided on the FAFSA. HOW FUNDS ARE DISBURSED All financial aid funds are disbursed through the Treasurer’s Office at Polaris Career Center. Providing the student meets satisfactory progress standards, the financial aid student loan funds are disbursed as follows (these are all subject to change and are approximate dates):

2016/2017 JOB & CAREER TRAINING PROGRAM HOURS START DATE

FIRST DISBURSEMENT

SECOND DISBURSEMENT

*<30 calendar

days

*SAP/ATD checked 7 days

before

Automotive Service Technician (37w) 720 9/12/2016 OCTOBER FEBRUARY

Cosmetology Academy (48w/39w)

1500 9/12/2016 OCTOBER APRIL

Dental Assisting (43w) 900 9/12/2016 OCTOBER MARCH

36

Early Child Care/CDA (39w) 930 9/12/2016 OCTOBER FEBRUARY

HVAC/R - Fall Day (20w) 600 9/6/2016 OCTOBER NOVEMBER

HVAC/R - Fall Evening (32w) 600 9/19/2016 OCTOBER FEBRUARY

HVAC/R - Spring Day (20w) 600 2/13/2017 MARCH APRIL

Medical Assisting - Fall Day (40w) 900 9/12/2016 OCTOBER FEBRUARY

Medical Assisting - Spring Evening (40w) 900 2/13/2017 MARCH JULY

Medical Billing & Coding - Fall Day (38w) 900 9/20/2016 OCTOBER MARCH

Medical Billing & Coding - Spring Evening (43w) 900 2/21/2017 MARCH AUGUST

Natural Resources/Ranger/Basic Peace Officer Academy 703 9/6/2016 OCTOBER JANUARY

Office Administration (37w) 720 9/19/2016 OCTOBER FEBRUARY

Pharmacy Technician - Fall Evening (39w) 600 9/19/2016 OCTOBER MARCH

Pharmacy Technician - Spring Day (39w) 600 2/21/2017 MARCH JULY

Precision/CNC Machine Technology (40w) 600 9/12/2016 OCTOBER MARCH

Welding (32w) 600 9/12/2016 OCTOBER FEBRUARY

When student loan disbursements are received from the U.S. Department of Education, the student’s tuition is credited the disbursed amount. If a student has borrowed funds in excess of the tuition amount, remaining funds will be refunded in the form of a check and sent to the student’s address of record. IMPACT OF A DRUG CONVICTION ON FINANCIAL AID A federal or state drug conviction can disqualify a student for FSA funds. Polaris Career Center will

review all information that is submitted by students on the FAFSA that confirm they have a drug

conviction. Students are notified individually at the time their FAFSA application is reviewed of their

ineligibility and given the information on how to regain eligibility.

Convictions only count if they were for an offense that occurred during a period of enrollment for

which the student was receiving financial aid. If a Polaris Career Center student is convicted of a

drug offense during an academic year they will be ineligible for future financial aid based on the

guidelines outlined in the Federal Student Aid Handbook.

The information below is provided by the Federal Student Aid Handbook. The chart below illustrates

the period of ineligibility for financial aid, depending on whether the conviction was for sale or

possession and whether the student had previous offenses. (A conviction for sale of drugs includes

convictions for conspiring to sell drugs.)

Offense Possession of Illegal Substance Sale of Illegal Substance

First 1 year from date of conviction 2 years from date of conviction

Second 2 years from date of conviction indefinitely

Third Indefinitely

A student regains eligibility the day after the period of ineligibility ends or with the successfully

completion of a qualified drug rehabilitation program. Further drug convictions will make the student

ineligible again.

Students denied eligibility for an indefinite period can regain it only after successfully completing a

rehabilitation program, or if a conviction is reversed, set aside, or removed from the student’s record

37

so that fewer than two convictions for sale or three convictions for possession remain on the record.

In such cases, the nature and dates of the remaining convictions will determine when the student

regains eligibility.

Students needing assistance with drug/substance abuse are encouraged to seek help. The

last page of this handbook contains an agency/referral list for drug/substance abuse and

mental illness centers to help students. For more information, please contact the Adult

Education Advisor/Counselor or Adult Education Office at (440) 891-7750.

OTHER FINANCIAL AID SOURCES Check Website Veterans Educational Benefits: All Veterans students using VA education benefits must provide the Financial Aid Coordinator with a recent Certificate of Eligibility. Apply for benefits online http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/ Funds will be sent to either the school or directly to the student, depending upon the chapter guidelines from which the benefits are requested. A veteran receiving benefits directly from the Veteran’s Administration must pay their tuition according to the Tuition Agreement Payment Plan. Workplace Development: The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act provides funding for underemployed and dislocated workers. Visit the Ohio Means Jobs website to find the local Ohio Means Jobs Center contact information to get started. http://jfs.ohio.gov/owd/WIOA/index.stm Trade Adjustment Assistance Act: The Trade Adjustment Assistance Act offers funding to certain individuals whose company has closed its facilities displacing the employees. More information is available at the Department of Job & Family Services website. http://jfs.ohio.gov/ouc/tradeadjustassist_faq.stm Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation: BVR provides individuals with disabilities services and supports necessary to help them attain and maintain employment. Individuals with disabilities may be eligible for training assistance. Contact the local office for further information or visit http://www.ood.ohio.gov/Core-Services/BVR/Regional-Offices to find the local office. Other: Scholarships or tuition reimbursements from employers, organizations, or foundations are may be accepted. Please contact the Adult Education Office to discuss other payment options before registration. If a student’s employer is paying any portion of the student’s tuition, Polaris must receive a letter on company stationary, signed by an authorized company representative before registering for a program. This letter must include the employee/student’s name, program name, student’s date of birth, and the amount of tuition the company has agreed to pay. Any unpaid balance is the responsibility of the student.

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PROFESSIONAL JUDGEMENT POLICY Professional Judgment is to be used on very limited and case basis for special or unusual circumstances that are beyond the student’s control. An example would be loss of family income because of sickness, death, layoff, loss of benefits, catastrophic medical bills not paid by insurance. In such cases, the financial aid coordinator can use professional judgment to make adjustments or use current year income instead of base year income. In no circumstances can the financial aid coordinator change the EFC or change the formula used by the Department of Education to calculate the EFC. Professional Judgment cannot be used in a situation that would be typical for a whole group of students. An example of this would be in a class where most of the students either cut back on hours or quit working altogether while going to school. The financial aid coordinator would not decide to use current year income for the whole class just because of this. The following policy will be used in making professional judgment decisions.

Basic Guidelines 1) The financial aid coordinator must resolve any conflicting or inconsistent information on the

ISIR before allowing a professional judgment. For example, if the student is flagged for verification, verification must be completed first. The student’s ISIR may need to be corrected before applying any professional judgment adjustments.

2) Professional judgment adjustments must be decided on an individual student basis only, not for a group of students.

3) Circumstances must be unusual. In other words, they must fall outside the normal type of information required by the U.S. Dept. of Education (income, assets, dependency status, etc.)

4) All decisions must be documented and signed by the financial aid coordinator. 5) The new EFC must be used to award all Title IV funds (Pell, Direct Loans,)

Unusual Circumstances Allowed

1) Higher than normal medical and/or dental expenses: The income protection allowance in the EFC formula allows 11% of total income for medical/dental expenses. Any medical/dental expenses that exceed 11% of income will be allowed. Financial Aid Coordinator may reduce the income reported on the ISIR by the amount of expenses that exceed 11% of the student’s income.

Required Documentation:

Copies of medical or dental bills

Cancelled checks

Request for Special Consideration Form completed by student and signed by the Financial Aid Coordinator.

Reprocessed ISIR 2) Lower income in current year than last year: Students who experience a loss or reduction

in income between the base year (on the FAFSA) and the current year may be allowed to substitute current annual income. The Financial Aid Coordinator must determine the total annual income for the student from January 1st thru December 31st and reprocess the ISIR with projected income for the year.

Required Documentation: Copy of monthly unemployment benefits statement

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Copy of recent pay stub Other documents used to calculate the projected annual income Request for Special Consideration Form completed by student and signed by the

Financial Aid Coordinator 3) Recent Unemployment: Student recently lost his/her job. Same requirements as lower

income in current year than last year. 4) Loss of Unemployment Compensation: Student’s unemployment benefits have run out.

Financial Aid Coordinator may calculate the total amount of income for the year including the unemployment benefits received and any projected additional income from January 1st to December 31st.

Required Documentation

Copy of unemployment benefit statement

Copy of letter indicating benefits have been exhausted. 5) Loss of Untaxed Income or Benefits: Student’s untaxed income or other untaxed benefits

has ceased--same requirements as loss of unemployment benefits. 6) Separation or Divorce: The dependent student has already completed the FAFSA, but

his/her parents have become separated/divorced or married independent student has become separated/divorced after completing the FAFSA. The financial aid coordinator may correct the income and asset information on the ISIR by including only the income for the parent which the student lived with the longest. For the independent student, the financial aid coordinator could allow the student to update information with only the student’s income and assets. If the dependent student’s parents are separated or divorced at the time of completing the FAFSA, the student should use only the income of the parent whom he/the student lived with longer during the twelve months prior to the date the application is completed, regardless of who claimed the student as an exemption. If an independent student is separated or divorced at the time of completing the FAFSA, the student should only report his/her income and asset information.


Official divorce or separation documents

Signed statement by parent and/or independent student 7) Death of Parent or Spouse: One of the student’s parents has died or the last surviving

parent has died or the independent student’s spouse has died after the student has completed the FAFSA. If the student’s last surviving parent has died after the student applied, the student must update his/her dependency status and report income and assets as an independent student. If the independent student’s spouse has died, the student will be allowed to remove the spouse’s income and asset information. If both parents are deceased at the time the student completes the FAFSA, the student answers “Yes” to the question concerning deceased parents in Step 3 of the FAFSA application. If the independent student’s spouse died prior to the student completing the application, the student should not include income and asset information for the deceased spouse.


Official death notice

Obituary

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Signed Statement 8) Number of Parents in College At least Half Time: Students may not include their parents that

are attending college on the FAFSA. However, the financial aid coordinator may allow the student to update the number in college to include the parents if the student’s parent provides proof that they are attending college at least half time.


Copy of parent’s acceptance letter or registration receipt

Copy of parent’s schedule

Copy of parent’s official college transcript REFERRAL OF OVERPAYMENTS AND FRAUD CASES If during the verification process, Polaris Career Center determines that a student received an overpayment of federal funds, Polaris will attempt to adjust subsequent financial aid disbursements. If this is not possible, the student will be required to repay the overpayment amount. Any applicant failing to repay the overpayment will be referred to the U. S. Department of Education for collection. Such applicants will be ineligible for future Federal Student Aid funds. If an applicant misreports information or alters documents for the purpose of increasing his/her aid eligibility or for fraudulently obtaining Federal funds, the applicant will be reported to the Office of Inspector General, U. S. Department of Education. SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS (SAP) POLICY The following academic and attendance guideline is used to determine SAP for students expected to receive Title IV financial aid and are enrolled in full-time program meeting 600 clock-hours or more. Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) The following academic and attendance guideline is used to determine SAP for students expected to receive Title IV financial aid and are enrolled in a full-time program meeting 600 clock hours or more. Satisfactory Academic Progress is defined as a measure of both grades and attendance. A student is required to maintain a 90% attendance rate of the clock hours scheduled and must also have a cumulative grade average of a “C” or 70%. Official Review of Attendance and Grades Attendance in Job and Career Training programs has been shown to be a reasonable predictor of work attendance and performance during employment. Therefore, attendance is carefully monitored. Although attendance and grades are constantly monitored by the instructor and the Adult Education Assistant Director, the Official review of attendance and grades is at the end of each payment period, as required by the U.S. Department of Education. For example, in a 900 hour program with 30 weeks, the official review date is at the end of 450 hours and 15 weeks. Following the midpoint of the program (by program): Automotive Service Technician: After 360 scheduled clock hours and 19.5 weeks Cosmetology Academy: After 450, 900, and 1200 scheduled clock hours and 20 weeks

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Dental Assisting: After 450 scheduled clock hours and 20 weeks Early Child Care Education/Child Development Associate: After 450 scheduled clock hours and 19.5 weeks Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (Day): After 300 scheduled clock hours 10 weeks Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (Evening): After 300 scheduled clock hours 16 weeks Medical Assisting: After 450 scheduled clock hours and 20 weeks Medical Billing and Coding: After 450 scheduled clock hours and 19 weeks Natural Resources/Ranger/Basic Peace Officer Academy: After 351.5 scheduled clock hours and 19.5 weeks Office Administration: After 460 scheduled clock hours and 15 weeks Pharmacy Technician: After 300 scheduled clock hours and 19.5 weeks Precision/CNC Machine Technology: After 300 scheduled clock hours and 19.5 weeks Welding: After 300 scheduled clock hours and 16 weeks Financial Aid Disbursements First disbursements – requires student to have attended the first 30 days. Initial loan funds will not be disbursed until the student has completed the online Entrance Counseling and Master Promissory Note. Subsequent disbursements – student must be meeting SAP for both attendance and grades. If the student is not meeting SAP, financial aid will be suspended until the student achieves SAP or wins an SAP appeal (see SAP Appeal Process policy). A student whose aid is suspended will be responsible for paying all unpaid program charges. Academic and Attendance Probation (SAP) Upon official review of SAP, if the student is meeting SAP, they will be eligible for their financial aid. If the student is not meeting SAP at the official review, and it’s still possible for the student to achieve SAP at the end of the program, the student will request to be placed on SAP Probation and their financial aid will be suspended. If it at any time, after all resources to achieve SAP are exhausted, it becomes mathematically impossible for the student to achieve the required attendance and grades by the end of the program, the student will be withdrawn from the program. (See Official and Unofficial Withdraw policy) Note: Students using Veteran Administration (VA) benefits, the effective withdrawal dates (as required by VA) will be retroactive to the date the student first failed to maintain the required attendance during the period. This action may create a student debt with the VA. Appeal Process When a student requests to be placed on SAP Probation, a student may submit an appeal using the Adult Education SAP Appeal Form, along with appropriate supporting documentation to the Adult Education Assistant Director, within two weeks, describing circumstances that may have caused a failure to meet SAP. The Adult Education Assistant Director will meet with a Review Board to review the Appeal and make a decision to either accept or deny the Appeal.

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Reinstatement If the Adult Education Assistant Director and Review Board accept the Appeal, an intervention action plan will be designed for the student to reach SAP will be created and the expected financial aid will be reinstated. At the end of the next payment period, the student must be meeting SAP to receive any subsequent disbursements. If the Adult Education Assistant Director and Review Board deny the Appeal, the student and Adult Education Assistant Director will make arrangements for the student to self-pay or withdraw (see Withdrawal Policy). Returning Students/Course Repetition: Students who withdraw and plan to return must have their financial aid reviewed by the Financial Aid Coordinator. Students who return within 180 days will be considered in the same payment period they were in when they left school. Students will have to complete the hours remaining in the payment period for which they were previously paid for before an additional payment of Title IV funds. Students returned after 180 days will be considered in a new payment period and will be eligible to receive additional funds as a new student up to the award year limit.

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES The Expected Family Contribution (EFC) formula is the same for all applicants, and the student’s prior year income is used in the calculation. The Financial Aid Coordinator has the authority to use professional judgment on a case-by-case basis to adjust certain data elements for a student with special or unusual circumstances, such as employment layoff. If the student feels they have a special circumstance, they can contact the Financial Aid Coordinator office to discuss the situation and find out what documentation is needed. STATEMENT OF PHILOSOPHY The philosophy of student financial aid at Polaris Career Center supports career preparation education of the student. The school’s objective is to help the student acquire general employability skills and the occupational specific skills necessary for initial job entry and continuing successful employment skills that will aid the student in achieving economic independence as a productive and contributing member of society. The primary purpose of student financial aid is to provide assistance to qualified students who would be unable to attend this school without such aid. Students are expected to take primary responsibility for the financing of their education. Therefore, any aid the student may receive should be regarded as supplemental to that which can be provided by the student. STUDENT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA For all Title IV Programs (Pell grant and Federal Direct Loan) a student must:

1. Have financial need, except for Federal Unsubsidized 2. Be enrolled in an eligible course as a regular student. A regular student is someone who is

enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an eligible institution for the purpose of obtaining a certificate offered by the school. The school documents a student’s enrollment in an eligible program at the time of admission, and has a system to notify the financial aid coordinator, if the student leaves the program. It also documents that an aid recipient is a regular student.

3. Be attending at least half-time for Federal Direct Loans (according to the FSA Handbook guidelines below.)

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A student must be enrolled at least half time to receive aid from the Federal Direct Loan Program. The Pell grant don’t require half-time enrollment, * but the student’s enrollment status does affect the amount of Pell a student receives.

To be enrolled half time, a student must be taking at least half of the course load of a full-time student. The school defines a full-time workload, but it must meet the minimum standards in the FSA regulations. The definition of full time used for FSA purposes (below) can differ from the definition used for other purposes at your school, such as the definition used by the registrar’s office.

The definition of a full-time workload for a program must be used for all students in that program and must be the same for all FSA-related purposes, including loan deferments. The school can’t accommodate a student with a learning disability or other handicap by allowing him/her a full-time enrollment status lower than the minimum standard (unless he/she is enrolled in a program for students with intellectual disabilities).

The regulations specify a minimum standard for undergraduate students but not for graduate students. For undergraduates, full-time status must be at least: 12 semester hours or 12 quarter hours per academic term in an educational program using a semester, trimester, or quarter system; 24 semester hours or 36 quarter hours per academic year for an educational program using credit hours but not using a semester, trimester, or quarter system, or the prorated equivalent for a program of less than one academic year; 24 clock hours per week for an educational program using clock hours;

4. Make Satisfactory Academic Progress (See SAP section of manual) 5. Be a U. S. citizen or eligible non-citizen: A student must be a citizen or eligible noncitizen to

receive aid from the FSA programs. The general requirement for eligible noncitizens is that they be in the U.S. for other than a temporary purpose with the intention of becoming a citizen or lawful permanent resident, as evidenced by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The eligible statuses are: • A U.S. citizen or national; • A U.S. permanent resident; • Citizens of the Freely Associated States: the Federated States of Micronesia and

the Republics of Palau and the Marshall Islands; • Other eligible noncitizens.

U.S. PERMANENT RESIDENTS AND OTHER ELIGIBLE NONCITIZENS A lawful permanent resident (LPR) is a noncitizen who is legally permitted to live and work in the U.S. permanently. Other eligible noncitizens are:

• Persons granted asylum in the United States are also authorized for indefinite employment, and they can apply for permanent residence after one year. Asylee status continues unless revoked by DHS or until permanent resident status is granted.

• Persons paroled into the U.S. for at least one year must provide evidence (such as having filed a valid permanent resident application) from the Department Homeland Security that they are in the U.S. for other than a temporary purpose and intend to become a citizen or permanent resident.

• Refugees are given indefinite employment authorization. Their status continues unless revoked by DHS or until lawful permanent resident status is granted, which refugees apply for after one year.

• Victims of human trafficking

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• Battered immigrants-qualified aliens under the Violence Against Women Act. • Conditional entrants are refugees who entered the United States under the seventh

preference category of P.L. 89-236 or whose status was adjusted to lawful permanent resident alien under that category. Note that the DHS stopped using this category on March 31, 1980.

• Cuban-Haitian entrants as defined by Section 501(e) of the Refugee Education Assistance Act (REAA) of 1980.

Some non-eligible statuses are: • Family unity status. Such individuals have been granted relief from deportation under the

Family Unity Program. Previously they were eligible for FSA funds. • Temporary residents are allowed to live and work in the U.S. under the Legalization or

Special Agricultural Worker program. Previously they were eligible for FSA funds. • Persons with non-immigrant visas, who include those with work visas, students, visitors,

and foreign government officials. 6. Register with the Selective Service if male and at least 18 and born after 12/31/59.

• Men aged 18–25 are required to register with the Selective Service System. This requirement covers men residing in the United States who are U.S. citizens or noncitizens, except that a man who is in the U.S. as a lawful nonimmigrant isn’t required to register as long as he maintains that status (see the exceptions to the registration requirement under “Exemptions” below). Students who are required to register with the Selective Service must do so to be eligible for FSA funds, but parents who want to borrow a PLUS loan aren’t required to have registered.

• The student has several ways to register, which include using the application process. There’s a question on the FAFSA that asks if the student wants Selective Service to register him. By answering “yes,” the student gives the Department of Education permission to submit his registration information to the Selective Service so that he may be registered. He can also ask to be registered by changing the answer to this question on the SAR to “yes” and submitting the correction (the answer to the question “Are you male?” must be yes too). The student may also register at the post office with a form available there, or he can register online at the Selective Service website (www.sss.gov).

EXEMPTIONS Men exempted from the requirement to register include: • males currently in the armed services and on active duty (this exception does

not apply to members of the Reserve and National Guard who are not on active duty);

• males who are not yet 18 at the time that they complete their applications (an update is not required during the year, even if a student turns 18 after completing the application);

• males born before 1960; • citizens of the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the

Federated States of Micronesia*; • noncitizens who first entered the U.S. after they turned 26; • noncitizens who entered the U.S. as lawful nonimmigrants on a valid visa and

remained in the U.S. on the terms of that visa until after they turned 26. 7. Not be incarcerated in a federal or state penal institution. (according to the FSA Handbook

guidelines below.) • A student is considered to be incarcerated if she is serving a criminal sentence in

a federal, state, or local penitentiary, prison, jail, reformatory, work farm, or similar correctional institution (whether it is operated by the government or a contractor).

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A student is not considered to be incarcerated if she is in a half-way house or home detention or is sentenced to serve only weekends.

• Incarcerated students are not eligible for FSA loans but are eligible for FSEOGs and FWS. They are also eligible for Pell grants if not incarcerated in a federal or state penal institution. See Chapter 7 for more information on this and on sex offenders who were incarcerated but are now subject to an involuntary civil commitment.

• The school may accept the student’s written self-certification that he is no longer incarcerated.

8. Have a high school diploma, G.E.D. or complete a high school education in a home school setting that is treated as a home school or private school under state law. To receive FSA funds, a student must be qualified to study at the postsecondary level. A student qualifies if he/she:

• Has a high school diploma (this can be from a foreign school if it is equivalent to a U.S. high school diploma)

• Has the recognized equivalent* of a high school diploma, such as a general education development or GED certificate;

• Has completed homeschooling at the secondary level; • Has passed a Department-approved ability-to-benefit test; or • Has satisfactorily completed six credits of college work that are applicable to a

degree or certificate offered by the school. A student may self-certify on the FAFSA that he has received a high school diploma or GED or that he has completed secondary school through homeschooling as defined by state law. The school requires a copy of the diploma or GED for admission. STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES FOR FINANCIAL AID:

Student confirms to the best of his/her knowledge that all information submitted is complete and correct.

Student understands that he/she cannot use Federal financial assistance at two schools at the same time.

Student will inform the Financial Aid Office of changes in any information submitted for financial aid.

Financial aid may be cancelled if fraudulent information is revealed on any application for financial aid.

Financial aid is not automatically renewable and must be applied for each academic year.

Student is required to make Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) in the program he/she is enrolled in and must meet the Polaris Career Center SAP policy requirements (cumulative 90% attendance as well as maintaining a 70% or C average).

Financial aid awards may be revised by the Financial Aid Office if estimated dollars are not received from the U.S. Department of Education, if errors have been made in the calculation of the awards, or if the funding levels change. Student understands the Financial Aid Award Letter is based on full-time enrollment in a 600+clock hour program.

Student confirms that he/she does not owe repayment on or is in default on a previous Direct Student Loan.

Student understands that he/she must pay all fees that they incur at Polaris Career Center regardless of whether he/she receives financial aid.

Student understands that he/she must comply with federal regulations by providing any and all information requested by the U.S. Department of Education and the Financial Aid Office.

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TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF TITLE IV HEA LOANS (NSLDS) All Federal loans will be reported to the U.S. Department of Education’s National Student Loan Data System as part of the student’s financial aid history. This information will be accessible to authorized agencies, other post-secondary institutions, lenders, and Federal loan servicing agencies. Students may access their own accounts at www.nslds.ed.gov. TRANSFER STUDENTS For students who transfer into the school during the award year from another school, the school must determine the amount of Title IV eligibility the student has remaining. The school first determines the percent of the scheduled award the student used at the former school and then subtracts the amount from 100%. Then the school multiplies the remaining percentage by the scheduled award the student is eligible to receive at Polaris Career Center. This is the maximum remaining eligibility the student has for Pell funds at Polaris Career Center. UNUSUAL ENROLLMENT HISTORY POLICY The U.S. Department of Education added an Unusual Enrollment History (UEH) flag to a student’s ISIR that indicates that a student has an unusual enrollment history based on the receipt of Federal Pell Grant (Pell Grant) funds at several schools. The flag was added to address possible fraud and abuse in the Title IV student aid programs from students who attended school long enough to receive Federal funds without successful completion of academic credit.

A UEH Flag value of ‘N’ indicates that there is no unusual enrollment history issue and, thus, no ‘C’ Code, no comments, and no action required by the institution.

A UEH Flag with a value of ‘2’ indicates an unusual enrollment history that requires review by the

institution of the student’s enrollment records. An example of an enrollment pattern that generates a

UEH Flag value of ‘2’ would be when the student received Pell Grant funds, Pell and Loans, or Loan

only at three institutions over two award years.

A UEH Flag with a value of ‘3’ indicates that the institution must review academic records for the

student and, in some instances, must collect additional documentation from the student. An example

of an enrollment pattern that generates a UEH Flag value of ‘3’ would be when the student received

Pell Grant funds at three or more institutions in one award year.

Resolving Unusual Enrollment History Flags If UEH Flag value is ‘N’: No action is necessary, as the student’s enrollment pattern does not

appear to be unusual.

UEH Flag value is ‘2’: The institution must review the student’s enrollment and financial aid records to determine if, during the past four award years, the student received a Pell Grant/Direct Loan at the

EXAMPLE: Student used 35% of a $3650 scheduled award at another school 100%-35%=65%. The scheduled award at Polaris Career Center $5730 The maximum remaining Pell eligibility is $3724.50 ($5730 X 65%)

http://www.nslds.ed.gov/

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institution that is performing the review. If so, no additional action is required unless the institution has reason to believe that the student is one who remains enrolled just long enough to collect student aid funds. If not, the institution must follow the guidance provided for a UEH Flag of ‘3’ For UEH Flag value of ‘3’: Using information from the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS), the school will identify the institutions where the student received Pell Grant/Direct Loan funding over the past four award years. It is the student’s responsibility to provide the school with an academic transcript from each of the previous schools attended in the review.

6 Academic Credit Not Earned If the student did not earn academic credit at a previously attended institution and, if applicable, at

Polaris Career Center, documentation from the student must obtained explaining why the student

failed to earn academic credit.

The school will determine whether the documentation supports (1) the reasons given by the student

for the student’s failure to earn academic credit; and (2) that the student did not enroll only to receive

credit balance funds

Below are sample reasons that may be accepted from a student as justification for the unusual enrollment history.

Personal reasons:

Illness, a family emergency, a change in where the student is living, and military obligations

Academic reasons:

The first enrollment was at an institution that presented unexpected academic challenges, or

The academic program did not meet the student’s needs, as determined by the student

NOTE: The school will request from the student third party documentation to support the student’s claim where appropriate.

Approval of Continued Eligibility If a review of the student’s written statement and third-party documentation is reasonable and acceptable to the financial aid office and Adult Education Director, the student will be counselled on the Pell Grant duration of eligibility provisions (LEU) and allowed to receive additional Title IV funds.

Denial of Continued Eligibility The school will deny additional Title IV funds if no academic credit was earned at one or more institutions and no documentation or acceptable explanation was provided for each failure. Students will be allowed to appeal the denial by submitting a written appeal as to why the school should not deny the student additional Title IV funds based upon federal rules. Additional documentation may also be submitted at that time.

Regaining Aid Eligibility If aid is denied, the student will be informed that eligibility for Title IV funds may be reestablished based upon successful completion of academic credit and meeting the satisfactory academic progress requirements for the first payment period of the student’s enrollment.

Pell Grant eligibility will begin with the payment period in which the student meets the eligibility requirements (after the first payment period of ineligibility). Direct Loan eligibility will be retroactive to the beginning of the student’s enrollment period.

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WITHDRAWAL/REFUND POLICY

Students considering withdrawing from a Job & Career Training program should contact the Adult Education Assistant Director or Administrative Coordinator.

Official Withdrawal – Withdrawal from a Job & Career Training Program is considered official on the date notification is received either in person or via email in the Adult Education office from the student. Tuition fees will continue to accrue until notification is received from the student. A $100 cancellation fee will be charged for all Job & Career Training program withdrawals. Refunds are prorated and based on the hours the program was held until withdrawal notification date. Books and supply fees are non-refundable. Program certification fees will be refunded if unused at the student’s time of withdrawal. If a student paid tuition by check or cash, the refund will be disbursed within 10 business days in the form of a Polaris Career Center check. If the student paid tuition using a credit card, the refund will be credited on the credit card initially charged. Unofficial Withdrawal - Withdrawal from a Job & Career Training Program is considered unofficial when a student does not attend, contact the instructor, or the Adult Education office for 10 consecutive days. Tuition fees will continue to accrue until the 10th day at which time a student will be withdrawn automatically. A $100 cancellation fee will be charged for all Job & Career Training program withdrawals. Refunds are prorated and based on the hours the program has been held until withdrawal date. Books and supply fees are non-refundable. Program certification fees will be refunded if unused at the student’s time of withdrawal. If a student paid tuition by check or cash, the refund will be disbursed within 10 business days in the form of a Polaris Career Center check. If the student paid tuition using a credit card, the refund will be credited on the credit card initially charged. Students who officially withdraw or are unofficially withdrawn and have a balance due will be invoiced by Polaris Career Center and given until the end of the fiscal year (June 30th) to pay the balance. Students may contact the Adult Education office if a payment plan is needed. If after June 30th the balance is not paid-in-full, the debt will be reported to the Ohio Attorney General’s office for collection. If a program is cancelled by the Adult Education Department, a full refund will be issued to the student. In the event a student does not qualify, or is unable to fulfill the program requirements to participate in the externship portion of a program, the student will be ineligible to complete the program and, therefore, the withdrawal policy will be applied. Reasons for non-participation may include the following but are not limited to: violation of the Polaris Career Center Adult Education Student Code of Conduct due to behavior or discipline, attendance below 90%, program/class grade below 70% or C, unsatisfactory background check, or non-completion of program competencies/skills. If a student is removed from his/her program due to; not being current with financial obligations, is non-compliant with attendance, is due to disciplinary reasons, or has not met program requirements for completion, the removal will be considered an unofficial withdrawal as stated above.

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SECTION III

School Policies

& General

Information

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SECTION III SCHOOL POLICIES

& GENERAL INFORMATION

2016 – 2017 ABILITY TO BENEFIT Polaris Career Center does not accept Ability to Benefit. Students are required to provide a copy of a high school diploma or GED Certificate. ADULT BASIC & LITERACY EDUCATION (ABLE)/ESOL/GED Free classes are available to improve Reading, Math and English skills, or to prepare for the GED test. For further information visit www.polaris.edu/adult-education/able-ged/, or call 440.891.7647.

Learn English for citizenship, employment and communication. Students are accepted throughout the program year. For more information, call 440-891-7647.

Skills Enrichment Program (SEP) Learning Lab (Ongoing) (FREE) The Learning Lab provides self-paced, non-graded, computer-based review opportunities to assist students in improving their WorkKeys® scores, GED, and Post-Secondary Program preparation. There is an instructor available for individual help. For information call 440-891-7647.

On-Line GED Preparation & ESOL These FREE classes prepare the student to pass the GED test or further ESOL study using online instruction at home blended with instructor support. For information call 440-891-7647. ACADEMIC/ATTENDANCE PROBATION POLICY A student must maintain a minimum attendance rate of 90% of the clock hours scheduled and a cumulative grade average or 70% (C) to complete a program and earn their career portfolio. Students failing to make 70% (C) or have a satisfactory attendance rate of 90% at the time of their program evaluation may be placed on academic/attendance probation. Students placed on academic probation are required to develop an approved student intervention plan, based on the Student Academic Probation form, with their Polaris instructor, student advisor, and the Director/Assistant Director. Upon further review of the student’s progress, if the student still does not meet satisfactory academic/attendance requirements or has not followed the student intervention plan, he/she may be removed from the program. The Polaris Career Center Withdrawal/Refund policy will apply.

Polaris Career Center Job and Career Training programs do not accept excused absences. Students are allowed to miss 10% of the program time and still complete the program. Students are encouraged to be in attendance 100% of the time. Absences should only be used for illness, emergency situations or personal/family obligations. Students should always notify their instructor of an absence in advance or as soon as possible.

When a student is late or tardy to class it will be recorded in a student’s attendance in fifteen minute increments.

http://www.polaris.edu/

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ACADEMIC DISHONESTY/PLAGIARISM POLICY Polaris Career Center does not tolerate any form of academic dishonesty. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, lying, plagiarism, falsifying records, completing work for another student, or any other infraction to avoid completing the program objectives or obtaining a grade or outcome other than the one earned by the student. Any academic dishonesty will be handled by Polaris staff and may result in program dismissal under the Polaris Career Center Adult Education Student Code of Conduct. ACHADEMIX STUDENT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE Polaris Career Center Adult Education uses the Achademix student-management software to report grades and attendance. Students may also make payments and access their account through the student portal in Achademix. Students will receive directions through the email they provide during registration for accessing the student portal in Achademix. It is important to note that it is the student’s responsibility to monitor their program grade, attendance, and student tuition account. Questions regarding the student portal or Achademix can be answered in the Adult Education office. ACCEPTABLE USE OF STUDENT INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY POLICY Please refer to the Polaris Career Center Board of Education Board Agenda Site Board Docs at: http://www.boarddocs.com/oh/polaris/Board.nsf/Public for this policy.

ADMISSIONS/ENROLLMENT POLICY Admission into a Job & Career Training program is on a first-come, first-served basis. When registering, prospective students must show their high school diploma from an accredited school recognized by the United States Department of Education or their General Educational Development (GED) certificate or its equivalent. In addition, the student must show his/her valid government-issued identification such as a driver’s licenses or state ID. In addition, the following are requirements for specific programs:

Cosmetology Academy– proof of state of Ohio residency documents, such as utility bills or property tax bills

Natural Resources/Ranger/Basic Peace Officer Training Academy – Applicants must be 21-years of age by the completion of the program, have a valid driver’s license, proof of automobile insurance, complete a background check with satisfactory results (No felonies or serious misdemeanors), complete a satisfactory drug screening, complete a physical exam with satisfactory results, and complete a physical fitness assessment (15% of the state required standards).

For admission into a Job & Career Training program, students must register in-person and:

if eligible, must verify and confirm their financial aid awards prior to registration

provide their high school diploma or GED certificate or its equivalent

provide their valid government issued photo ID (i.e., driver’s license or state ID)

pay a portion of their tuition (depending on financial aid award)

Admission policies are non-discriminatory to any eligible adult as stated in Polaris Career Center Board Policy which can be found on the Polaris website, in the Adult Education catalog, brochures, student handbook, and faculty handbook. The policy states, “In accordance with Title VI of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title IX of the Education Amendments, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Polaris Joint Vocational School District’s policy prohibits

http://www.boarddocs.com/oh/polaris/Board.nsf/Public

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discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, veteran status, disability, ancestry, economic status, military status, or age in its educational programs, activities, services or employment policies. The Board does not discriminate on the basis of legally acquired genetic information.”

ATTENDANCE Regular and punctual attendance is the greatest single factor in school success. All students are expected to be in attendance at Polaris Career Center on all scheduled days. Individual programs may have specific attendance requirements for successful completion.

A Job & Career Training student who attends a minimum of 90% (this includes externships as applicable) of the course and successfully completes the required work will receive a Certificate of Completion and Transcript at the end of the program.

Polaris Career Center Job and Career Training programs do not count excused absences. Students are allowed to miss 10% of the program time and still complete the program. Students are encouraged to be in attendance 100% of the time. Absences should only be used for such instances as illness, emergency situations or personal or family obligations. Students should always notify their instructor of an absence in advance or as soon as possible. BACKGROUND CHECK POLICY Certain courses will require satisfactory completion of a criminal background check in order for a student to be eligible to participate in the course and/or externship. In the event the student does not qualify to participate in the externship, the Polaris Career Center withdrawal policy applies.

Students need to be aware that a background check may affect potential externship and/or employment opportunities.

If requested, it is the student’s responsibility to provide potential employers or an externship site with their background check information. Externship sites and employers may require additional background check information. Students must use the Polaris Career Center designated vendor to obtain the required background check (at the student’s expense). BOARD OF EDUCATION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES The Board of Education has established policies and procedures that pertain to students, staff, and school operations. These policies and procedures are available for review on the Polaris Career Center website, www.polaris.edu. BOOKS AND SUPPLIES POLICY The cost for books and supplies are included in the student’s total program cost. However, if a student desires to purchase his/her own books and supplies, the student must notify the financial aid office two weeks prior to the start of the program. The amount owed for books and supplies will then be deducted from the student’s total program cost amount. If it has been determined that the student will have funds remaining from their financial aid eligibility (Pell Grant or Federal loans) resulting in a credit balance, the school will issue the student the lesser of the credit balance or the amount needed to purchase books and supplies within the first week of

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classes. This policy assumes there are no financial aid eligibility issues (verification, unresolved C codes, delayed loan disbursement, conflicting information etc.). Students who desire to purchase their own books and supplies must come to school adequately prepared to begin their training program with all the required program-approved books (must be correct ISBNs) and supplies. If the student chooses to purchase his/her books and supplies, he/she must purchase all required program approved books and supplies listed on the program cost acknowledgement form. The student’s decision to opt-in or opt-out is final. CARE OF THE BUILDING AND GROUNDS All Adult Education students will be responsible for the cleanliness of the classrooms, lab areas, parking lot, buildings and grounds after use. Each instructor will designate clean-up procedures and all Adult Education students will be required to participate in clean-up. Clean-up time must be scheduled within the allotted class period.

Equipment used during the class session is to be cleaned and left in the same or better condition and placed back where it was found at the start of the period. If any furniture is rearranged, it should be returned to its original position. CAREER PORTFOLIO FOR PROGRAM COMPLETERS Students who successfully complete a program and meet all program requirements will receive a Career Portfolio which includes documentation of official transcripts, a resume, grades, attendance and certifications, if achieved.

Polaris Career Center students have the opportunity to earn a Certificate of Completion and program transcript upon successful completion of their program.

A Certificate of Completion will be awarded to each student who maintains satisfactory academic progress of 70% (C average) in addition to a minimum of 90% attendance.

Students eligible to receive the Certificate of Completion for Job & Career Training Programs must:

- Complete their Job & Career Training Program and externship/work-based activity (where applicable).

- Achieve satisfactory grades and skill development in their program area. - Maintain attendance of 90% of the total program hours over the length of

the program. - Complete their financial obligations regarding financial aid, tuition and fees. - Natural Resources/Ranger/Basic Peace Officer Academy students must pass the

physical assessment portion of the OPOTC certification exam to complete the program.

CELL/SMART PHONE USAGE POLICY Cell/Smart phones must be turned off or on silent during instructional time. Texting is not permitted during class. In case of an emergency please contact the Polaris Career Center Welcome Center at 440-891-7600.

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CHANGE OF ADDRESS/EMAIL/PHONE ETC. Students should notify the Adult Education office when a change of address or other contact information. CONSUMER DISCLOSURE Polaris Career Center is required by Federal Law to disclose certain information to our prospective and enrolled students:

Available Financial Assistance

Campus Security Report – Clery Act

Completion/Graduation Rates

Drug/Alcohol Abuse Prevention

Family Education Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA)

How to Obtain Additional Information**

Institutional Information

Job Placement Information

Retention Rate

All of the above information and more is found on the Polaris Career Center website.

COPYRIGHT PROTECTION Unauthorized copying, redistribution or republication of copyrighted or licensed materials is prohibited. Violations of this policy may result in disciplinary action and may also be referred to the appropriate legal authorities and/or other legal action may be pursued.

Polaris Career Center shall have the exclusive and complete control of, title to, and rights of copyright to all manuscripts, lectures, video tapes, recording or other instructional tools in any way connected with the service(s) offered by Polaris Career Center. Students may not video or audio tape training services without prior approval from the instructor. CRIME AWARENESS AND CAMPUS SECURITY ACT All students and staff members are encouraged to report any and all suspicious behavior, destructive actions, or other emergencies immediately to the on-duty security guard or any faculty/staff member The following information is provided and updated annually as directed by the U.S. Department of Education through Public Law 101-542 – The Criminal Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990 in accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). The link to the Polaris Career Center Annual Security Report which contains crime statistics regarding Polaris Career Center and other security information is as follows: http://www.polaris.edu/adult-education. A paper copy of the annual security report is available upon request in the Adult Education office.

No person shall knowingly possess, have under the person’s control, convey or attempt to convey a deadly weapon or dangerous ordnance into a school safety zone in pursuant to Ohio Revised Code.

http://www.polaris.edu/adult-education/

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Crime Statistics for Calendar Years: 2013, 2014, 2015

Reported Crime 2013 2014 2015

Murder/Non-Negligent Manslaughter 0 0 0

Negligent Manslaughter 0 0 0

Simple Assault 0 0 0

Forcible Sex Offenses 0 0 0

Rape 0 0 0

Fondling 0 0 0

Non-Forcible Sex Offenses 0 0 0

Incest 0 0 0

Statutory Rape 0 0 0

Robbery 0 0 0

Aggravated Assault 1 0 0

Burglary 0 0 0

Motor Vehicle Theft 0 0 0

Arson 0 0 0

Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) 0 0 0

Domestic Violence 0 0 0

Dating Violence 0 0 0

Stalking 0 0 0

Arrests On Campus Weapons- carrying, possessing, etc. 0 0 0

Drug Abuse Violations 2 1 1

Liquor Law Violations 0 0 0

DRESS AND GROOMING GUIDELINES A dress code or a uniform may be required for appearance, safety factors, and as a necessity to protect clothing. Clothing that is excessively tight, short, or revealing is inappropriate. This includes extremely short shorts and skirts, tank tops, or clothing that reveals the midriff. Students must wear shoes. Clothing or attire that can be construed as gang-related is not permitted.

Any apparel or accessory that graphically or symbolically is vulgar, offensive, obscene or libelous or promotes sex, violence, tobacco, drugs, or alcohol is unacceptable and will not be permitted. In addition, chains, spikes, or any other item that may be construed by a school official as a safety hazard will not be permitted.

Program uniforms and safety glasses need to be worn as determined by the program instructor or administrator.

The District’s dress code is established to teach grooming and hygiene, instills discipline, prevents disruptions, avoids safety hazards, promotes respect, and is similar to those enforced in most working environments.

Polaris Career Center administration reserves the right to determine the appropriateness of the attire and take necessary action under the Adult Education Student Code of Conduct.

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DRIVING and PARKING Daytime Students – Daytime students will be given a parking permit application to complete for their vehicle. The parking permit must be visible at all times.

All daytime students must park in the (south) student parking lot.

Parking in the front parking lot is prohibited.

Each driver must adhere strictly to the following:

All drivers are directed to park in designated areas. Please park in those areas obviously provided for parking.

Parking on the grass areas, fire lanes, no parking zones, bullpen area, or handicapped zones is prohibited.

The driveway surrounding the building is a fire lane and cars are prohibited from parking in this area.

Parking spaces are on a first come basis after 3:30 PM.

Any student driving a vehicle while on school property must obey the posted 10 M.P.H. speed, and drive with the utmost caution at all times.

Polaris Career Center assumes no liability for damage or loss while vehicles are parked on school property. Accidents or losses should be reported to the security guard immediately. Overnight parking is not permitted at Polaris Career Center.

DRUG PREVENTION PROGRAM Drug and Alcohol (Drug-Free School and Community Act of 1989) Polaris Career Center is unequivocally opposed to the misuse of lawful drugs and the possession and use of unlawful drugs. Pursuant to the requirements of the Drug-Free School and Community Act Amendments of 1989 (PL 101-226) Polaris Career Center has adopted and implemented drug and alcohol policies and programs designed to prevent drug and alcohol problems within the campus setting. The policies and programs are designed to identify problems at the earliest stage, motivate the affected individuals to seek help and to direct the individual toward the best assistance available. Student and Employee Compliance with Polaris Career Center Drug and Alcohol Policies. All Polaris Career Center students and employees are expected to abide by the terms of the school’s policies. A student and/or employee found to be in possession or illegally using drugs and/or alcohol may be subject to appropriate sanctions. Such sanctions may include: referral for prosecution, termination of employment, and/or reprimand, probation, suspension or expulsion. A disciplinary sanction may include the completion of an appropriate rehabilitant program. Students and employees are guaranteed due process. Standards of Conduct Polaris Career Center is committed to maintaining a campus free of illegal drugs or the unlawful use of alcohol or illicit drugs. It is the policy of Polaris Career Center not to permit the possession, consumption, and sale of alcoholic beverages on campus. In accordance with the laws of the State of Ohio, the regulations of the Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Liquor Contract (DOCL) and the polices of Polaris Career Center. Polaris Career Center has the responsibility of upholding federal, state and local laws regarding the use of drugs and alcohol. Students who choose to possess or use unlawful drugs or misuse lawful drugs and alcohol subject themselves to both arrest and

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prosecution and Polaris Career Center action. Polaris Career Center Sanctions In cases of civil or criminal action against a Polaris Career Center student, Polaris does reserve the right, for education purposes, to review any action taken by authorities. Polaris Career Center may at its discretion, introduce further sanctions if the student’s conduct has interfered with the Polaris Career Center exercise of its educational objectives or responsibilities to its members. Polaris Career Center Student Code of Conduct expressly prohibits the manufacture, distribution, sale, offer for sale or possession of drugs or narcotics. Violation of this standard constitutes a “code A” offense and the student will be subject to maximum sanction of disciplinary expulsion or any sanction not less than a reprimand. Being under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol does not diminish or excuse the violation of the Student Code of Conduct. The Student Code of Conduct also prohibits the possession and/or use of marijuana, and the unauthorized use of alcohol. Violation of these standards constitutes a “code B” offense and the student will be subject to a maximum sanction of disciplinary probation or any sanction not less than a reprimand. Being under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol does not diminish or excuse a violation of the Student Code of Conduct. A student admitted to the Polaris Career Center accepts the responsibility to conform to all Polaris Career Center rules and regulations. Proven failure to meet this obligation will justify appropriate disciplinary sanctions, including Local, State and Federal Laws and Sanctions. Applicable legal sanctions under local, state or federal law for the unlawful use, procession or distribution of illicit drugs or alcohol are set forth in the referenced laws and are available upon request from the Adult Education Director. In addition, students who currently receive federal financial aid are advised that criminal conviction for a drug-related offense may lead to the loss of their financial aid funds. Local: State: Ohio Revised Code Chapters 2925 – Drug Offenses 3719 – Controlled Substances 4301 – Liquor Control Laws Federal: Federal (Harrison) Narcotic Act Federal Narcotic Drugs Import and Export Act Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act Federal Alcohol Administration These sanctions can include probation, fines, driver’s license suspension, and/or incarceration. Future revision, amendments, or additions to these or other applicable codes are incorporated into this policy by this reference. Also, it is a requirement that all employees will abide by the terms in this policy and notify the employer in writing if he or she is convicted for a violation of a criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace no more than five calendar days after such conviction.

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Health Risks There are serious health risks associated with the use of illicit drugs and the abuse of alcohol. Some but not all of the risks are listed below:

a. Alcohol and other depressants: Consumption of alcohol and other depressants causes a number of marked changes in behavior. Even low doses significantly impair judgment and coordination required for safety and care. Use of alcohol and depressants can lead to addiction and accidents as a result of impaired ability and judgment.

b. Marijuana: Use of marijuana can lead to panic reactions, impaired short-term memory, increased risk of lung cancer and emphysema, particularly in cigarette smokers, and impairment of driving ability.

c. Cocaine: Addiction, heart attack, seizures, lung damage, severe depression, paranoia, and psychosis. Similar risks are associated with other stimulants, such as speed and uppers.

d. Hallucinogens: Unpredictable behavior, emotion instability, violent behavior, and organic brain damage in heavy users, convulsions, and coma.

e. Narcotics (Heroin, Morphine, Codeine, etc.): Addiction, accidental overdose, the risk of hepatitis and AIDS from contaminated needles.

f. Inhalants (Gas, aerosols, glue, etc.): Loss of consciousness, suffocation, damage to the brain and central nervous system, sudden death, nausea and vomiting, nosebleeds and impaired judgment.

Substance Abuse Resources

Resource information (booklets, brochures, pamphlets, etc.) regarding health and safety concerns from substance abuse, and information, regarding the availability of, and/or referral to, community-based substance abuse counseling and rehabilitation services are available through a variety of Polaris Career Center and community based services including:

There are drug and alcohol counseling, treatment and rehabilitation facilities available in our area where you can seek advice and treatment. The yellow pages of the local telephone book and the interarea are an excellent source. Look under the heading “Drug Abuse and Addiction-Information and Treatment.” Or the web address: http://www.ohiodrugrehabilitation.com/. The Ohio Office of the Bureau of Drug Abuse in Columbus is the State Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment coordinator at (614) 466-7893.

There are several Drug Abuse and Alcohol Treatment and Prevention Programs in the area in which Polaris Career Center participates. See the Adult Education Department for specifics.

There are national organizations on can contact for help. The Alcoholism and Drug Abuse hotline is open 24 hours, 1-800-252-6465. The Cocaine Hotline, 1-800-444-9999 is open 24 hours a day. The National Institute on Drug Abuse Hotline is available 8:00am/2:00am, Monday through Friday and 11:00am/2:00am on weekends, 1-800-662-4357.

Contact any of the resources listed above for referral. Your anonymity will be respected.

Review 1. In accordance with the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Amendments of 1989, this policy will be distributed to all students and employees on an annual basis 2. During each even-numbered year, a biennial review of the comprehensive drug and alcohol abuse prevention program will be conducted to determine its effectiveness, make improvements where

http://www.ohiodrugrehabilitation.com/

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necessary, and ensure that it is consistently enforced.

EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND EVACUATION PROCEDURES (CRISIS RESPONSE PLAN) Emergency procedures and evacuation routes are posted in each classroom. Regularly scheduled, unannounced fire drills, tornado drills, and lockdown drills are conducted throughout the school year. A Board of Education policy is in place for emergency situations for students and employees. The Polaris Career Center Crisis Response Plan is available at: www.polaris.edu/adult-education/general-information/ In case of an emergency please dial x7777 or contact the Welcome Center. EQUAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY, DISCRIMINATION, AND HARASSMENT POLICY In accordance with Title VI of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title IX of the Education Amendments, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Polaris Joint Vocational School District’s policy prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, veteran status, disability, ancestry, economic status, military status, or age in its educational programs, activities, services or employment policies.

The Board does not discriminate on the basis of legally acquired genetic information.

If you are having a problem or have questions or concerns regarding compliance with Title IX or Section 504, contact:

Assistant Superintendent Title IX and Section 504 Coordinator 440.891.7643 Room 225

EVALUATION OF PROGRAM Each student will have the opportunity to complete Student Satisfaction Surveys which are reviewed by school administration. EXCUSED ABSENCE POLICY Polaris Career Center Job and Career Training students must attend their program at a 90% rate in order to successfully complete the program. A student is allowed to miss 10% of the program and still successfully complete. Polaris Career Center does not accept excused absences. EXTERNSHIP/WORK-BASED ACTIVITY Externship/work-based activities are designed to ensure that students experience a real world environment in their field of study utilizing the knowledge and skills attained in the program. This gives the students the opportunity to relate theory to practical application in a professional setting, demonstrate competencies, work habits and attitudes needed for employment in the profession. In addition, skills related to specific practices and procedures are enhanced by practical application along with employer feedback. A minimum of 90% attendance with a 70% or C average or better is required for students to participate in the externship/work-based opportunity.

Program-specific externship/work-based activity information is available from the program instructor.

http://www.polaris.edu/adult-education/general-information/

http://www.polaris.edu/adult-education/general-information/

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Polaris Career Center has affiliation agreements with area hospitals, physician’s offices, healthcare, and childcare facilities etc., for various types of opportunities. Acceptance of students into an externship/work-based environment is at the discretion of the facility based upon staff availability and need. Polaris Career Center cannot control or guarantee the externship/work-based opportunity.

The program instructor will be responsible for assigning the student to the externship site. The student will be offered one externship opportunity as available and is placed at an externship at the discretion of the instructor. The externship/work-based experience is a learning experience, not a working experience; there are no financial benefits paid to the student. Students are not to replace any employee or assume anyone’s job responsibilities. The externship/work-based site has the right to make scheduling adjustments or reassignments based upon staffing and departmental needs. Students will be under the supervision of their program instructor and the site supervisor. The student will be expected to demonstrate professional behavior at all times. The Polaris Career Center Adult Education Student Code of Conduct is still in effect while a student is on an externship/work-based activity.

Students may be required to obtain any of the following at their expense to fulfill eligibility for the externship/work-based activity:

Physical exam

Immunizations and/or titers

Drug screening

Uniforms/equipment

Background check FAMILY EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS & PRIVACY ACT (FERPA) The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a Federal law designed to protect the privacy of a student’s education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education. FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children’s education records. These rights transfer to the student, or former student, who has reached the age of 18 or is attending any school beyond the high school level. Students and former students to whom the rights have transferred are called eligible students.

• Parents or eligible students have the right to inspect and review all of the student’s education records maintained by the school. Schools are not required to provide copies of materials in education records unless, for reasons such as great distance, it is impossible for parents or eligible students to inspect the records. Schools may charge a fee for copies.

• Parents and eligible students have the right to request that a school correct records believed to be inaccurate or misleading. If the school decides not to amend the record, the parent or eligible student then has the right to a formal hearing. After the hearing, if the school still decides not to amend the record, the parent or eligible student has the right to place a statement with the record commenting on the contested information in the record.

• Generally, schools must have written permission from the parent or eligible student before releasing any information from a student’s record. However, the law allows schools to disclose records, without consent, to the following parties:

School employees who have a need to know. Other schools to which a student is transferring. Certain government officials in order to carry out lawful functions.

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Appropriate parties in connection with financial aid to a student. Organizations conducting certain studies for the school. Accrediting organizations. Individuals who have obtained court order or subpoenas. Persons who need to know in cases of health and safety emergencies; and state and local

authorities within a juvenile justice system, pursuant to specific state law.

Schools may also disclose, without consent, “directory” type information such as student’s name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, honors and awards, and dates of attendance. However, schools must tell parents and eligible students about directory information and allow parents and eligible students a reasonable amount of time to request that the school not disclose “directory” information about them. Schools must notify parents and eligible students annually of their rights under FERPA. The actual means of notification (special letter, inclusion in a PTA bulletin, student handbook, or newspaper article) is left to the discretion of each school. Note: The USA Patriot Act of 2001 (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism) amends FERPA to include additional exceptions to the rules of releasing information without student/parent consent.

FOOD

Food service is available in the Polaris Career Center Old Oak Cafe (first floor, Room 100) from 7 AM – 8 PM Monday through Thursday, and 7 AM – 2 PM on Friday.

Beverage vending machines are located in the back hallway near the elevator.

All food and beverage items are to be consumed in the Commons or the Cafe.

No food or beverages are to be consumed in the classroom/lab. FULL SERVICE CENTER DESIGNATION Polaris Career Center is one of 35 Full Service Centers in the state that works to train and retrain Ohio's workforce. Featured Services include:

Adult Basic Literacy Education

GED (General Educational Development) Test Preparation

Career Assessment

Financial Aid

Job Search Assistance

Employability and Job Readiness Training

Career Counseling GRADE POLICY A student’s academic progress will be measured according to the following scale: 90 - 100% = A = Outstanding 80 - 89% = B = Above Average 70 - 79% = C = Satisfactory 60 - 69% = D = Below Average Below 60 = F = Unsatisfactory I = Incomplete

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Grades will reflect achievement in the following areas: written and program competency test scores, homework, class assignments, employability skills, class participation, attendance, lab performance, and externship evaluations.

All Job & Career Training students who attend a minimum of 90% of a course and successfully complete the required work, 70% (grade of C or better) will receive a Career Portfolio, complete the program, and graduate.

Official transcripts are provided to eligible students upon program completion upon request using the form at www.polaris.edu. Requests for additional transcripts will be processed within 10 to 14 business days. Transcripts may be issued to the student or sent to other schools, employers or agencies. Completed transcript request forms should be faxed to 440-891-7642 or mailed to Polaris Career Center, Attention: Adult Education, 7285 Old Oak Blvd., Middleburg Heights, Ohio, 44130. GRIEVANCE POLICY/PROCEDURE Polaris Career Center believes that complaints and grievances are best handled and resolved as close to their origin as possible. Therefore, the proper channeling of complaints involving instruction or discipline will be as follows:

Step 1) Classroom Instructor Step 2) Adult Education Student Advisor or Designee Step 3) Adult Education Assistant Director/Director

Step 1) The student must obtain a Complaint/Grievance form from the Welcome Center in the front lobby, or in the Adult Education office, complete it and submit it to their instructor within 5 working days of the issue. The classroom instructor will respond verbally and in writing to the student by completing the form within 5 working days and returning the form to the student. If a satisfactory resolution is achieved, no further action is necessary.

Step 2) If a satisfactory resolution is not achieved, the student may insert the current date in the Step Two section of the original form and submit it to the Adult Education Student Advisor or Designee, but, no later than 3 working days after receiving the written notification. The advisor or designee will reply verbally and in writing to the student within 5 working days after receipt of the Complaint/Grievance form.

Step 3) If a satisfactory resolution is still not achieved, the student should insert the current date in the Step Three section of the form and submit it to the Adult Education Assistant Director/Director. Once the Adult Education Assistant Director/Director has received the form he/she will make a decision regarding the grievance within 5 working days of the written notification. The student will also be given the opportunity to meet with the Adult Education Assistant Director/Director. The decision of the Adult Education Assistant Director/Director will be final and the process will end.

Students have the right to contact the Council on Occupational Education 7840 Roswell Road, Building 300 Suite 325 Atlanta, Georgia 30350 770-396-3898 www.council.org HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA VERIFICATION POLICY The school requires a copy of the diploma or GED for admission. If the school has reason to believe that the high school diploma or GED is not valid, the school will require additional documentation.

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If the school has reason to believe that the high school diploma is not valid or was not obtained from an entity that provides secondary school education, the school will evaluate the validity of the student’s high school completion. Students who indicate on their FAFSA that they graduated high school must give the name, city, and state of the high school. FAFSA on the Web will not allow students to skip these items, and it will have a drop-down list of both public and private high schools populated by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Inclusion on the list does not mean that a diploma from the school is valid, nor does exclusion from the list mean that the diploma is invalid. Acceptable documentation for checking the validity of a student’s high school completion will include obtaining a copy of the diploma and a final transcript that shows all the courses taken by the student. For students who completed their secondary schooling outside the United States, comparable documents can help, as can the services of companies that determine the validity of foreign secondary school credentials. Another resource that will be used is the state department of education in which the high school is located, if that department has jurisdiction over the high school. If the school has reason to believe the high school diploma is dubious—e.g., the school knows the student bought the diploma or transcript and was required to perform little or no work—the financial aid office will make every attempt to validate the diploma before awarding financial aid to the student.

JOB SEARCH ASSISTANCE Adult Education Job & Career Training Program students are provided with employability skills training that consists of job search techniques, resume writing, interviewing skills, and general work ethics. Attendance for this training is mandatory for all Job & Career Training students. Job search assistance, through the Office of Corporate & Community Partnerships, is available to students. Employment is not guaranteed. Students can access job opportunities through the Polaris Career Center Office of Corporate and Community Partnerships. LIABILITY Certain risks may be involved in each course. Polaris Career Center shall not be liable for any losses or injury whatsoever to persons or property arising from enrollment in any course. By registering for a course, the registrant acknowledges the assumption of those risks and releases Polaris Career Center from any liability whatsoever. NATIONAL CENTER FOR CONTRUCTION EDUCATION AND RESEARCH (NCCER) POLICY Polaris Career Center HVAC/R and Welding programs are approved by NCCER and utilize the NCCER training curriculum. Polaris Career Center follows all policies and procedures set forth by NCCER. OFFICIAL FILES & RECORDS OF STUDENTS All student records for the current school year are maintained in fireproof, locked filing cabinets in the Adult Education office. All student records are backed-up electronically.

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PROGRAM CANCELLATION REFUND POLICY The Adult Education department must cancel programs that do not attain the required minimum enrollment. If a program is cancelled, all tuition agreements are null and void and full refunds are disbursed to the student within 10 business days. PROGRAM COSTS The following is a listing of the 2016-2017 Job & Career Training programs and the costs associated with each:

AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE TECHNICIAN

Tuition: $ 8,269 Materials & Assessment Fees (non-refundable) include: $ 108

Certification Exam Fee

WorkKeys Assessment

Portfolio

Books & Supplies Fees include: $ 618

Textbook - Modern Automotive Technology, 8th Edition ISBN: 978-1-61960-690-6

Basic Entry Level Tools TOTAL $ 8,995 Additional cost(s) for student:

Work boots (steel-toed recommended)

____________________________________________________________________________ Cardiographic Technician


Materials


WorkKeys Assessment

Portfolio


Electrocardiography for Healthcare Professionals with student CD ISBN: 978007802067-4

Dubin's Rapid Interpretation of EKG's ISBN: 912912065

Bp/Stethoscope kits

EKG Caliper TOTAL $ 2,995

Additional cost(s) for student:

Immunizations and/or Titers (the quantity of antibody present) (completed prior to externship)

Uniform (required within a few weeks after start of program)

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Drug Screening (if required by externship site)

Physical Exam (if required by externship site)

Background Check (if required by externship site)

Cosmetology Academy Tuition: $ 12,673 Materials & Assessment Fees (non-refundable) include: $ 367

Materials

Tool Kit with Mannequins

Nail Kit

Smock

State Board Exam Fee

WorkKeys Assessment

Portfolio


Textbook - Milady Standard Cosmetology Hardcover ISBN: 9781439059302

Textbook - Softcover Theory Workbook ISBN: 9781439059234

Textbook - Study Guide The Essential Companion ISBN: 9781439059241

Textbook - Exam Review ISBN: 9781439059210ISBN

Marianna Kit

TOTAL $ 13,995 Additional cost(s) for student:


Dental Assisting Tuition: $ 9,509 Materials & Assessment Fees (non-refundable) include: $ 284

Materials

Certification Exam Fees

WorkKeys Assessment

Portfolio


Textbook - Student Workbook and Dental Instruments Pocket guide Package ISBN: 9780323239929




Physical Exam (completed prior to externship)

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________________________________________________________________________

Early Child Care Education/Child Development Associate Tuition: $ 6,173 Materials & Assessment Fees (non-refundable) include: $ 686

Infant/Child CPR Training (if student has current certification, student tuition is credited $59)

Communicable Disease Training (if student has current certification, student tuition is credited $59)

First Aid Training (if student has current certification, student tuition is credited $59)

Child Abuse Recognition Training (if student has current certification, student tuition is credited $59)

CDA Application Fee

WorkKeys Assessment

Portfolio


Textbook – Working with Young Children Student Text ISBN: 9781631260247

Textbook – Working with Young Children Student Workbook ISBN: 9781631260254

2-3" White divider with cover

9 dividers

20-25 sheet protectors

1 highlighter

1 pencil

1 pen

1 pack of notebook paper TOTAL $ 6,995 Additional cost(s) for student:

Immunizations and/or Titers (the quantity of antibody present) (completed prior to field experience)

Background Check

Drug Screening (if required by field experience site)

Physical Exam (if required by field experience site)

Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration HVAC/R Tuition: $ 8,649 Materials & Assessment Fees (non-refundable) include: $ 120

Materials


WorkKeys Assessment

Portfolio


Textbook - Core Curriculum Textbooks ISBN: 9780136086376

Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technology

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ISBN: 9781111644475

Lab Manual for Refrigeration and Air Conditioning ISBN: 9781111644482


Work Boots (steel-toed)

Medical Assisting Tuition: $ 9,162 Materials & Assessment Fees (non-refundable) include: $ 483

Materials


WorkKeys Assessment

Portfolio


Textbook - Medical Terminology for Healthcare Professionals ISBN: 978111154327-3

Textbook - Medical Assisting Exam Review for CMA, RMA & CMAS Certification, 3e ISBN: 9781609133689

Comprehensive Medical Assisting ISBN: 9781451100655

Comprehensive Medical Assisting Study Guide ISBN: 9781451115727

Pocket Guide for Medical Assisting ISBN: 9781451120370

Prep U Comprehensive Medical Assisting ISBN: 9781469815657ISBN


Uniform $ 200

TOTAL $ 9,995







_______

Medical Billing & Coding Tuition: $ 8,339 Materials & Assessment Fees (non-refundable) include: $ 380


68

WorkKeys Assessment

Portfolio


Textbook – Medical Terminology 350 ISBN:914901125

Textbook - Understanding Hospital Billing & Coding by Ferenc ISBN: 9781455723638

Textbook - Saunders HIPAA Online ISBN: 9781455756247

Textbook - Step by Step Med B & C (5 book bundle) ISBN: 9780323224314

Textbook - The Language of Medicine ISBN: 9781455728466

Textbook - Law and Ethics for the Health Professions 7th edition ISBN: 9780073374710

Textbook - Electronic Health Records ISBN: 97873402141

Textbook - Computers in the Medical Office ISBN: 9780073402130

Textbook - A Guide to Health Insurance Billing ISBN: 9781285193595

TOTAL $ 9,995



Physical Exam (completed prior to externship)



Natural Resources/Ranger/Basic Peace Officer Academy Tuition: $ 6,546 Materials & Assessment Fees (non-refundable) include: $ 194


WorkKeys Assessment

Portfolio

Use of Gun Belt

Use of Holster

Use of Handgun

Use of Shotgun

Use of Handcuffs

Use of Expandable Baton

Use of Aerosol Defense Spray

Academy Uniform (except shoes)

Ammunition


Textbook - Anderson Ohio Criminal Traffic Field Guide 2013 ISBN: 9780769867403ISBN

3" binder

11 packs of White Index Tabs

9 packs of Colored Index Tabs

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Drug Screening

Uniform Shoes

Physical Exam

Background Check

Make-up hours (as needed – for all hours missed during program)

Office Administration


Materials


WorkKeys Assessment

Portfolio


Textbook – Bundle Shelly Cashman Series- Microsoft Office ISBN: 9781337367202

Mavis Beacon Keyboarding Software

Service Skills.com


None __________________________________________________________________________________

Pharmacy Technician Tuition: $ 6,862 Materials & Assessment Fees (non-refundable) include: $ 308


WorkKeys Assessment

Portfolio


Textbook – Pharmacy Practice for Technicians ISBN: 9780763852269

Textbook - Pharmacology for Technicians ISBN: 9780763852237

Textbook - Pharmacy Calculations for Technicians ISBN: 9780763852214

Textbook - Pharmacy Lab for Technicians ISBN: 9780763852399

[70]




Drug Screening (completed prior to externship)



Phlebotomy Certification Tuition: $ 2,548 Materials & Assessment Fees (non-refundable) include: $ 285

Materials


WorkKeys Assessment

Portfolio


Textbook - Phlebotomy Essentials ISBN: 9781451144345

Textbook - Phlebotomy Exam Review ISBN: 9781451194548



Hepatitis B Vaccination (3-part series)

Drug Screening


Flu Shot



Precision/CNC Machine Technology Tuition: $ 8,172 Materials & Assessment Fees (non-refundable) include: $ 355

Tooling U membership


WorkKeys Assessment

Portfolio


Textbook - Shop Reference for Students and Apprentices ISBN:

Textbook - Precision Machining Technology ISBN: 9781435447677

Textbook - Precision Machining Technology Instructor Resource CD ISBN: 9781435447769

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Textbook - Lab Manual ISBN: 9781435447684

Elementary Blueprint Reading for Machinists ISBN: 9781401862565

Tooling U--280-day subscription ISBN:


Work Boots (steel-toed recommended)

Welding Tuition: $ 8,246 Materials & Assessment Fees (non-refundable) include: $ 325


WorkKeys Assessment

Portfolio


Textbook - Welding Level 1 ISBN: 9780136106517

Textbook - Core Curriculum Textbooks ISBN: 9780136086376

Textbook - Modern Welding ISBN: 978160525795211

Goggles

Uniforms

Bags

Coat

Helmet

Chipper

Gloves TOTAL $ 8,995 Additional cost(s) for student:

Work Boots (steel-toed recommended)

RE-ADMISSION POLICY Students wishing to re-enroll for the same program are not granted advanced standing and must complete the program in its entirety. All students who wish to re-enroll must meet with school administration prior to re-enrolling to develop an action plan to address the non-completion of the previous program. Administration reserves the right to disallow entrance into the program. Additionally, any student with an outstanding balance to the school will not be readmitted until payment of outstanding balance is paid-in-full. RE-TESTING OF CERTIFICATION EXAMS/TESTS

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Polaris Career Center will pay the initial cost for the certification exams taken by students as listed on the Polaris Career Center website, Job and Career Training Brochure, and the catalog. Additional information will be provided by Adult Education office. SAFETY STANDARDS Industry safety standards and procedures should be maintained at all times. Each program must conform to established safety practices for that profession. These standards apply to all students, instructors, staff, and visitors. Adult Education students are required to equip themselves with the necessary protective clothing and safety glasses as prescribed by the instructor and State Law.

For liability reasons, no Adult Education student is permitted to be in the classroom or laboratory without the presence of an instructor.

SCHOOL CLOSING POLICY When Polaris Career Center is closed for daytime classes it also means that the evening classes will be canceled as well. Students should check with local television stations, local radio stations, the Polaris Career Center website, www.polaris.edu, the Polaris Career Center social media pages, or call the school at 440-891-7600 for further information. SECURITY The interior and exterior of Polaris Career Center are under surveillance by video equipment. A recording may be used as evidence by Polaris Career Center Security and Administration or by the police/law enforcement in any situation involving the violation of any rule, regulation, policy, or law.

Security Guard – (Daytime) Polaris cell 440-829-8652 or Polaris office 440-891-7627

Jeff Traine [email protected]

Security Guard – (Evening) Polaris cell 440-829-8652 or Polaris office 440-891-7627 Dave McGlynn [email protected]

OR call the Welcome Center by dialing (440) 891-7600 or 0 internally

Please call x7777 in case of an emergency

Polaris Career Center takes the safety and welfare of our students seriously. The Polaris Career Center campus security office is located in the Main High School office. The district also employs Middleburg Heights Police Officers during the school day and they are stationed in the main office during daytime hours. Southwest General Health Center’s Security also patrol and have access to the campus grounds and property twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

All students and staff are encouraged to report any suspicious behavior, destructive action or any emergency to Polaris Career Center security or any faculty/staff member.




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SMOKING & TOBACCO POLICY USE OF TOBACCO Number 5512 The Board of Education is committed to providing students, staff, and visitors with an indoor tobacco and smoke-free environment. The negative health effects of tobacco use for both the users and nonusers, particularly in connection with second hand smoke, are well established. Further, providing a non-smoking and tobacco-free environment is consistent with the responsibilities of teachers and staff to be positive role models for our students. For purposes of this policy, "use of tobacco" means to chew or maintain any substance containing tobacco, including smokeless tobacco, in the mouth to derive the effects of tobacco, as well as all uses of tobacco or tobacco substitutes, including cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, chewing tobacco, snuff or any other matter or substances that contain tobacco, in addition to papers used to roll cigarettes and/or the smoking of electronic, "vapor," or other substitute forms of cigarettes, clove cigarettes or other lighted smoking devices for burning tobacco or any other substance. In order to protect students and staff who choose not to use tobacco from an environment noxious to them, the Board prohibits the possession, consumption, purchase or attempt to purchase and/or use of tobacco or tobacco substitute products by students on Board premises, in Board-owned vehicles, within any indoor facility owned or leased or contracted for by the Board, and/or used to provide education or library services to children, and at all Board-sponsored events. Students who violate this policy shall be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct/Student Discipline Code and in accordance with policies of the Board. SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES POLICY Polaris Career Center may provide accommodations to students with documented disabilities. A student is not required to disclose his/her disability however, if the student desires accommodations, it is the student’s responsibility to notify the Adult Education Assistant Director of his/her disability. The student must request accommodations in writing as well as provide current documentation prepared by an appropriate professional that includes a diagnosis and the necessary accommodations to assist the student in his/her training program.

Polaris Career Center is accessible to students with physical disabilities. Students should contact the Adult Education office prior to arrival for parking instructions and elevator location information.

In accordance with Title VI of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title IX of the Education Amendments, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Polaris Joint Vocational School District’s policy prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, veteran status, disability, ancestry, economic status, military status, or age in its educational programs, activities, services or employment policies.

The Board does not discriminate on the basis of legally acquired genetic information.

If you are having a problem or have questions or concerns regarding compliance with Title IX or Section 504, contact:

Assistant Superintendent Title IX and Section 504 Coordinator 440.891.7643 Room 225

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STUDENT DATA COLLECTION POLICY Student data and information is collected and reported by the school to the schools governing and accrediting agencies as required by each agency. Agencies include but are not limited to the Ohio Department of Higher Education, U.S. Department of Education, the Council of Occupational Education, and programmatic agencies such as the Ohio Board of Cosmetology, NCCER, and the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. Additionally, students who participant in the federal student loan program will have their information reported to the Wright International Student Services (WISS). Those students who owe an outstanding balance to the school may be referred to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. STUDENT DATA SECURITY Polaris Career Center operates technology with a secure network and data is backed up daily and stored offsite to prevent it from becoming lost or accessed illegally. STUDENT PERSONNEL SERVICES A Student Advisor/Counselor is available to discuss educational, Job & Career Training, social, or personal concerns. - Appointments are required. Contact the Advisor/Counselor at 440-891-7747.

Adult Education Basic Literacy instructors and classes are available to students needing extra assistance with basic academic skills. Students should contact the ABLE office at 440-891-7647 for information and assistance.

Maintenance and security personnel are also available to assist students while at the career center.

STUDENT SEARCH AND SEIZURE POLICY Please refer to the Polaris Career Center Board of Education Board Agenda Site Board Docs at: http://www.boarddocs.com/oh/polaris/Board.nsf/Public for this policy. THEFT POLICY Students are not permitted to take, attempt to take, or be in possession of the property of another without the permission of the owner, including Polaris Career Center. Personal property found on Polaris Career Center premises must be turned into the Welcome Center, Adult Education office, or Polaris security in a timely manner. Failure to do so may be considered theft. Students who violate this policy may be dismissed from their Polaris Career Center program under the Adult Education Student Code of Conduct. The Withdrawal/Refund policy will apply. Polaris Career Center may contact Middleburg Heights Police Department and possibly file charges. Polaris Career Center assumes no responsibility for lost or stolen items

TRANSCRIPT REQUEST PROCEDURE Former Job & Career Training Adult Education students may access the Adult Education transcript request form by visiting the Polaris Career Center website, www.polaris.edu under Adult Education/General Information. The form should be completed entirely and faxed (440-891-7642) or mailed to the Polaris Career Center Adult Education.



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TRANSFER POLICIES

Transfer of Students from Other Institutions: Polaris Career Center does not grant advanced standing to transfer students from other institutions.

Transfer of Credits to another School Polaris Career Center Job and Career Training programs are based on clock hours. Students wishing to transfer credit for training to another school will need to consult with the other school to determine what credit for training, if any, will be accepted. Polaris Career Center does not grant credits and any credit awarded is at the discretion of the other institution.

Transfer of Students Between Programs: Prior to the program start date, registered student may not transfer to another program. Students must withdraw from their current program and re-register for another program. The $100 cancellation fee policy will be in effect and applied.

TUITION/PAYMENT PLANS An interest-free tuition payment plan is offered by the Adult Education Department for Job & Career Training Programs.

The cost of the program may be divided into payments (depending on the length of the class) with an initial payment due at the time of registration.

Monthly payments are due the 1st of each month (or as indicated on the completed agreement) beginning with the month the program begins. Students who are not current with financial obligations will not be permitted to remain in their program.

Students may access their Achademix student portal (pcc.axstudent.com) to pay their tuition payments online.

If a monthly tuition payment is not received within 5 calendar days of the due date, a $50 Late Fee will be added to the current monthly payment.

Tuition must be paid-in-full one-month prior to completion of the program.

Any unpaid balance will be referred to the Ohio Attorney General’s office for collection.

Student certificates, portfolios, and transcripts will not be released to any student who fails to pay all tuition fees.

VETERANS POLICIES Academic and Attendance Probation Policy

Attendance for all students will be taken daily and evaluated every two weeks by the Adult Education Assistant Director.

Veteran students failing to make Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) (70% or “C” grades or 90% attendance) at the time of their program evaluation will be placed on academic probation. A Veteran student placed on academic probation is required to develop an approved student intervention plan based on the Student Academic Probation form, with their Polaris instructor, student advisor and the Director/Assistant Director of Adult Education. The plan will detail what steps are needed to be removed from this status before the next evaluation point.

A Veteran student may appeal their probation by following the SAP Appeal Procedure outlined in the Adult Education Student Policies and Financial Aid Consumer Handbook.

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Upon further review at the time indicated in the approved student intervention plan, if the Veteran student still does not meet satisfactory academic and attendance requirements or has not followed the student intervention plan, the Veteran student will be removed from the program. The Polaris Career Center Withdrawal/Refund policy will apply.

Veteran students will follow the Veterans Policy for Evaluation of Prior Credit if wishing to re-enroll in the program.

Evaluation of Prior Credit

The Adult Education Director or designee will evaluate official transcripts and documentation of previous education and training to determine if applicable.

VISITORS It is important to emphasize that even though the school is public, we do not welcome unauthorized visitors or loiterers. Any visitor with a valid reason to be in class must have prior approval from the Adult Education office. All persons who are not regular staff members, employees, or Adult Education students of the school district should come to the Welcome Center and obtain authorization and permission to be in the building. Adult Education students are not permitted to conduct personal business at school.

WEAPONS POLICY Please refer to the Polaris Career Center Board of Education Board Agenda Site Board Docs at: http://www.boarddocs.com/oh/polaris/Board.nsf/Public for this policy.

WITHDRAWAL/REFUND POLICY

Students considering withdrawing from a Job & Career Training program should contact the Adult Education Assistant Director or Administrative Coordinator.

Official Withdrawal – Withdrawal from a Job & Career Training Program is considered official on the date notification is received either in person or via email in the Adult Education office from the student. Tuition fees will continue to accrue until notification is received from the student. A $100 cancellation fee will be charged for all Job & Career Training program withdrawals. Refunds are prorated and based on the hours the program was held until withdrawal notification date. Books and supply fees are non-refundable. Program certification fees will be refunded if unused at the student’s time of withdrawal. If a student paid tuition by check or cash, the refund will be disbursed within 10 business days in the form of a Polaris Career Center check. If the student paid tuition using a credit card, the refund will be credited on the credit card initially charged.

Unofficial Withdrawal - Withdrawal from a Job & Career Training Program is considered unofficial when a student does not attend, contact the instructor, or the Adult Education office for 10 consecutive days. Tuition fees will continue to accrue until the 10th day at which time a student will be withdrawn automatically. A $100 cancellation fee will be charged for all Job & Career Training program withdrawals. Refunds are prorated and based on the hours the program has been held until withdrawal date. Books and supply fees are non-refundable. Program certification fees will be refunded if unused at the student’s time of withdrawal. If a student paid tuition by check or cash, the refund will be disbursed within 10 business days in the form of a Polaris Career Center check. If the student paid tuition using a credit card, the refund will be credited on the credit card initially charged.


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Students who officially withdraw or are unofficially withdrawn and have a balance due will be invoiced by Polaris Career Center and given until the end of the fiscal year (June 30th) to pay the balance. Students may contact the Adult Education office if a payment plan is needed. If after June 30th the balance is not paid-in-full, the debt will be reported to the Ohio Attorney General’s office for collection.

If a program is cancelled by the Adult Education Department, a full refund will be issued to the student.

In the event a student does not qualify, or is unable to fulfill the program requirements to participate in the externship portion of a program, the student will be ineligible to complete the program and, therefore, the withdrawal policy will be applied. Reasons for non-participation may include the following but are not limited to: violation of the Polaris Career Center Adult Education Student Code of Conduct due to behavior or discipline, attendance below 90%, program/class grade below 70% or C, unsatisfactory background check, or non-completion of program competencies/skills.

If a student is removed from his/her program due to; not being current with financial obligations, is non-compliant with attendance, is due to disciplinary reasons, or has not met program requirements for completion, the removal will be considered an unofficial withdrawal as stated above.

WORKKEYS® ASSESSMENTS & ACT TEST INFORMATION The WorkKeys® Assessments, published by ACT Inc., measure the basic skills needed for success in a Job & Career Training Program and in the workplace. All Job & Career Training students are required to complete the following WorkKeys® Assessments:

Reading for Information

Applied Mathematics

Locating Information

Retests are available upon request. It is recommended by ACT that students wait a minimum of 30 days before retaking the WorkKeys® assessments per WorkKeys Notice #6 – 2014.02.18 – Retest Policies.

Students are encouraged to complete the ACT test. This will help guide students to make the most appropriate decision in the realm of postsecondary options.

The ACT test is offered on campus in accordance with the ACT national testing dates. (Saturdays

only).

WorkKeys® scores are given to the Student Counselor/Advisor to review and discuss with each student individually. If a student achieved level does not meet the benchmark score for a Job and Career Training program area, a referral to the Polaris Career Center Skills Lab will be made for intervention in that WorkKeys® test area(s).

Interested students should contact: Polaris Career Center’s Career Student Counselor/Advisor,

Judy Whalen at 440-891-7747 or [email protected].

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POLARIS CAREER CENTER

ADULT EDUCATION STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT Students enrolled in courses offered through the Adult Education Department are subject to Polaris Career Center regulations pertaining to student conduct and discipline. Adult Education students are to act as mature, responsible adults. In the event that any student who is enrolled in a course through Adult Education exhibits conduct that is disruptive to the educational process or destructive to property, it will be necessary to interrupt that student’s training. In order to establish a proper learning environment, it is necessary to maintain classroom control and school discipline. Polaris Career Center constantly strives to make disciplinary decisions that will result in positive student growth. However, certain irresponsible acts can and will result in removal from the course. The Adult Education Director or his/her designee reserves the right to dismiss a student from the student’s course if the student demonstrates a behavior or attendance problem in their program or externships. (Polaris Career Center Withdrawal Policy will apply). Any student who fails to comply with this procedure will be dismissed from the course. In recognition that any list of prohibited conduct cannot encompass every conceivable action, which may be properly subject to discipline, this Code of Conduct must be interpreted broadly, with substantial discretion in interpretation given to the administrator. The rules and standards also apply to any misconduct, regardless of where it occurs that is directed at a district employee or the property of such employee. Disciplinary Action The following course of action pertains to persons who are taking a course or participating in a program through the Adult Education division of Polaris Career Center. 1) Removal for a period of less than twenty-four (24) hours is normal *disciplinary

action. 2) In the event that the violation warrants removal for more than one day including the

remainder of the course/school year, the student will be offered the opportunity to meet with the Adult Education Director or his/her designee.

3) If the participant is identified as being disabled, the participant's disability and any applicable law, rules and regulations will be considered in taking disciplinary action.

policies & financial aid · monday, january 16, 2017 monday, january 16, 2017 monday, february...

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