Consumer Information for Prospective and Current Holy Cross Students (HEOA Disclosures)
To help prospective and current students locate important information about Holy Cross, this page collects links to helpful information on a variety of subjects, including the College’s academic programs, cost of attendance, financial aid, and post-graduate activities of graduates. Holy Cross’ presentation of this information complies with the Higher Education Act, as amended, and its implementing regulations.
This page contains information on the following topics:
1. Accreditation Information
2. Information on Academic Programs
a. Academic Programs
b. Standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress
c. Transfer of Credit Policy
d. Graduation Rates, Retention Rates & Diversity Statistics
3. Cost, Financial Assistance and Withdrawal Information
a. General Financial Assistance Information
b. Information Related to the Costs of Attending Holy Cross, Including
Tuition, Fees, Books, and Room and Board
c. Study Abroad and Title IV Aid
d. Information Related to Holy Cross’ Refund Policy and/or Requirements for
Withdrawal from the University
e. Athletic Program Participation Rates and Financial Support Data
4. Information on Post-Graduate Activities
5. Health and Safety Information
a. Vaccination Policy
b. Alcohol and Drug Policy and Support Resources
c. Crime Awareness and Campus Security Report (Clery Act Report)
6. Textbook information
7. Other Information
a. Student Activities
b. Facilities/Services for Students with Disabilities
c. Student Records Policies/Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA)
d. Copyright Infringement Policies and Sanctions
e. State Complaint Process
f. National Student Clearinghouse (NSC)
g. National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS)
If you have questions or would like copies of any of the information presented here, please contact the Office of College Marketing and Communications at (508) 793-2419 or compliance@holycross.edu
Accreditation: The College is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (formerly the Commission of Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc.). Accreditation of an institution of higher education by the Commission indicates that it meets or exceeds criteria for the assessment of institutional quality periodically applied through a peer group review process. An accredited college or university is one which has available the necessary resources to achieve its stated purposes through appropriate educational programs, is substantially doing so, and gives reasonable evidence that it will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Institutional integrity is also addressed through accreditation. Accreditation by the Commission is not partial but applies to the institution as a whole. As such, it is not a guarantee of every course or program offered or the competence of individual graduates. Rather, it provides reasonable assurance about the quality of opportunities available to students who attend the institution. Inquiries regarding the accreditation status by the Commission should be directed to the administrative staff of the institution. Individuals may also contact: NECHE at 3 Burlington Woods Drive, Suite 100, Burlington, MA 01803-4514 or online at www.neche.org.
2. Information on Academic Programs
b) Standards for Satisfactory Academic Process
c) Transfer of Credit Policy
d) Graduation Rates, Retention Rates & Diversity Statistics
3. Cost, Financial Assistance and Withdrawal Information
a) General Assistance Information:
Financial Aid
Tuition and Fees
c) Study Abroad and Title IV Aid:
Financial Aid
Student Loan Programs
e) Athletic Program Participation Rates and Financial Support Data (broken need a new link)
4. Information on Post-Graduate Activities / Post-Graduate Information
5. Health and Safety Information
- Student Development Website
b) Alcohol and Drug Policy and Support Resources
c) Crime Awareness and Campus Security Report (Clery Act Report) (broken need a new link)
Detailed information on campus safety including hate crime reporting, emergency response/evacuation, timely warning and emergency notification, and missing student notification policy, fire safety and fire log, and drug and alcohol violations are found in the annual Safety, Security and Fire report.
Information concerning the course schedule used for preregistration and registration purposes, the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) and retail price information of required and recommended textbooks and supplemental materials for each course listed, to the extent the information is available, is set forth at the location described here.
If you need further information, you may contact the Holy Cross Bookstore.
b)
c) Student Records Policies / Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA)
d) Copyright Infringement Policies and Sanctions
f) National Student Clearinghouse (NSC)
g) National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS)
State Complaint Process
An institution that participates in the Federal student aid programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, must be authorized to operate by the State(s) where it is located (See 34 CFR 600.9). There are two basic requirements for an institution to be considered legally authorized by the State for Title IV funding eligibility purposes:
The State must authorize an institution by name to operate educational programs beyond secondary education. This requirement applies to all institutions, but the way compliance is determined depends on the type of postsecondary institution being authorized; and
The State must have a process applicable to all institutions, except tribal and Federal institutions, to review and appropriately act on complaints concerning the institution, including enforcement of applicable State laws.
Detailed information regarding this process can be found here: http://www.mass.edu/forstufam/complaints/complaints.asp
National Student Clearinghouse (NSC)
The College of the Holy Cross uses the services of the NSC to process enrollment verification requests received from lenders, guaranty agencies, servicers, and the U.S. Department of Education. The U.S. Department of Education has ruled that a school's release of personally identifiable information from student education records to the Clearinghouse is in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
Peer-to-Peer File Sharing Information
A copyright is a form of legal protection for creative works. Copyrights help to ensure that authors of creative works can control how those works are used and prevent others from capitalizing on, or using or distributing, the works without permission. The unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material such as songs, videos, games, textbooks, or other type of creative content, including through peer-to-peer file sharing, may subject students to serious criminal and civil penalties, so students and others need to understand what is and is not permissible when it comes to the downloading and distribution of creative materials.
Although using peer-to-peer file sharing technology in itself is not illegal, what you share and how you share it may violate the law. The laws that govern copyright are not specific to any one technology; you can violate the rights of a copyright holder using many different types of technology. Both uploading and downloading of copyrighted files can violate copyright law.
Altering the format of creative content for your own personal use, that is, for example, ripping a CD of songs onto your computer and then listening to them on your iPod, generally would not be viewed as a copyright violation. Distributing that song file to others would violate the copyright law, however, as would downloading a file shared online in that manner. Such actions, if taken on the Holy Cross network, would also violate Holy Cross Acceptable Use Policy, available at https://www.holycross.edu/information-technology-services/it-policies.
This policy provides that each individual user of the Holy Cross network is responsible for using electronic materials in accordance with copyright and licensing restrictions, and it prohibits users from using the Holy Cross networks to violate copyright laws and from distributing or copying proprietary files without proper authorization.
Content owners (those holding copyrights) actively monitor file sharing networks. They frequently issue takedown notices to Internet Service Providers (ISPs), including Holy Cross, requesting that the ISPs remove shared files, and they sometimes issue subpoenas requesting that the University turn over information about those they believe are violating their copyrights for the purpose of filing a lawsuit.
Holy Cross is legally obligated by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to respond to valid complaints and subpoenas received from copyright owners. Holy Cross’ process for responding to these complaints and subpoenas is described here.
Federal Copyright Law
Federal copyright law establishes a wide range of civil and criminal penalties for copyright infringement. For those who download or upload large numbers of songs, civil damages could reach into the millions of dollars. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) have pursued these monetary damages in lawsuits. Although to date criminal prosecutions of students for file sharing have been rare, potential civil and criminal penalties for peer-to-peer activity include:
• Statutory damages of up to $150,000 for each act of willful infringement (i.e., each song or movie illegally copied or distributed),
• Lower damages for acts of unintentional infringement.
• Pre-litigation settlements prior to filing lawsuits against students from $3,000 to $4,000 and up.
• Jury verdicts against file sharers in the hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars.
• Reasonable attorney fees to the copyright owner at the court’s discretion.
• Fines.
• Prison time.
Legal Resources
There are many legal alternatives that allow you access to songs and movies. To avoid being prosecuted or sued for copyright infringement and to support the artists you love, you should explore the legal alternatives available on the Internet, including but not limited to the use of paid subscriptions, which are widely available.