Vision Statement

We seek to be a leader among our campus community for high quality and innovative service, which includes a more effective use of technology for both our processing and communication with students.  

Each staff member will be valued for their unique strengths in an environment of supportive relationships where energy, hard work, and good humor complement each other. 

Core Values

Integrity • Courtesy • Fairness • Kindness 

• Creativity • Efficiency • Enrichment  • 

Collegiality • Accessibility • Empowerment

 

All institutions must refer to the Department’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) any credible information indicating that an applicant for federal student aid may have engaged in fraud or other criminal misconduct in connection with his or her application.

Misconduct includes false claims of independent student status, false claims of citizenship, use of false identities, forgery of signatures of certifications, and false statements of income. Remember that fraud is the intent to deceive as opposed to a mistake. If you suspect such intent on the part of a student, you can report it to the OIG by phoning 1-800-MISUSED.

Institutions must also refer to the OIG any third-party servicer who may have engaged in fraud, breach of fiduciary responsibility, or other illegal conduct involving the FSA Programs.

It is always appropriate for a financial aid administrator to consult with a school’s legal counsel prior to referring suspected cases of fraud or misconduct to an agency outside of the school.

SUNY Buffalo State works diligently to ensure that its officers, employees, and agents avoid conflicts of interest in connection with their responsibilities relating to providing and administering student loans for our students. In accordance with state and federal law, you should be aware that the following activities are prohibited. Some of these prohibitions involve technical definitions which can be found by referring to the applicable state and federal law. If you wish to obtain this information, please contact the Financial Aid Office.

  1. Buffalo State does not enter into any revenue-sharing arrangement with any lender.
     
  2. No officer, employee, or agent of Buffalo State who is employed in the Financial Aid Office or who otherwise has responsibilities with respect to education loans, will solicit or accept any gift or other thing of value from a lender, guarantor, or servicer of education loans. You should be aware that certain items provided or contributed by lenders are not considered gifts, such as training materials, philanthropic contributions unrelated to education loans, and entrance and exit counseling services.
     
  3. No officer, employee, or agent of Buffalo State who is employed in the Financial Aid Office or who otherwise has responsibilities with respect to education loans, will accept from any lender or affiliate of any lender, any fee, payment, or other financial benefit (including the opportunity to purchase stock) as compensation for any type of consulting arrangement or other contract to provide services to a lender or on behalf of a lender relating to education loans.
     
  4. Buffalo State will not, for any first-time borrower, assign, through award packaging or other methods, the borrower’s loan to a particular lender or refuse to certify, or delay certification of, any loan based on the borrower’s selection of a particular lender or guaranty agency.
     
  5. Buffalo State will not request or accept from any lender, any offer of funds to be used for private education loans, including funds for an opportunity pool loan, to students in exchange for the campus providing concessions or promises regarding providing the lender with a specified number of loans made, insured, or guaranteed, a specified loan volume, or a preferred lender arrangement for such loans.
     
  6. Buffalo State does not request or accept from any lender any assistance with call center staffing or financial aid office staffing.
     
  7. No employee of Buffalo State who is employed in the Financial Aid Office or who otherwise has responsibilities with respect to education loans or other student financial aid and who serves on an advisory board, commission, or group established by a lender, guarantor, or group of lenders or guarantors, will receive anything of value from the lender, guarantor, or group of lenders or guarantors for such service.

The primary goal of the financial aid professional is to help students achieve their educational potential by providing appropriate financial resources. To this end, this statement provides the financial aid professional with a set of principles that serves as a common foundation for accepted standards of conduct.

The staff of the Buffalo State Financial Aid Office follows the principles outlined by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA).

 

An institutional financial aid professional is expected to always maintain exemplary standards of professional conduct in all aspects of carrying out his or 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. To this end, this code provides the financial aid professional with a set of principles that serve as a common foundation for accepted standards of conduct.

The staff of the Buffalo State Financial Aid Office follows this code of conduct outlined by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA).