Preferred Lender List and Disclosures

Preferred Lender List and Disclosures

Arkansas Welding Academy utilizes Sallie Mae, Meritize, and Unisa Inc, to present the lenders

on our preferred lender list to you.

Access our lender list by visiting: 

Contact the Financial Aid office to explore funding options through the preferred lender list. 

IMPORTANT: You are NOT restricted to the lenders presented on our preferred lender list. You should not be directed to any specific lender by the University; you may choose any lender and follow their application process. 

We provide this list as a resource for you to research and make the best selection for your educational funding needs. This list is not exhaustive and other options are available. You do not need to borrow from a lender on this list. 

Preferred Lender Arrangements

Placement on the lender list is the result of our annual evaluation of the lender's borrower benefits offered, timely processing, flexibility, historical certification levels at Arkansas Welding Academy, and customer service to you and our staff. To ensure lenders on this list are selected based on the best interests of the borrowers we  specifically review: 

• Payment of origination or other fees on behalf of the borrower.
• Highly competitive interest rates, or other terms, conditions, and/or provisions. 
• High quality loan servicing. 
• Additional benefits beyond typical standard terms, conditions, and/or provisions in loan borrowing. 
• Institutional loan by Unisa Inc.

We exercise a duty of care and loyalty to our students when compiling the preferred lender list without prejudice and for the sole benefit of students at Arkansas Welding Academy. We will not deny, impede the borrower’s choice of lender, or cause unnecessary delay in loan certification for those who choose a lender that is not included on the preferred lender list. 

All loans available to those who qualify.

Arkansas Welding Academy Inc.

Student Loan Code of Conduct

The Arkansas Welding Academy Inc. Office of Financial Aid is here to help students achieve their educational goals through financial support and resources. We strive to do what is best for our students. Please read the Arkansas Welding Academy Inc. Financial Aid Code of Conduct: The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA) requires that institutions participating in the federal student loan programs develop, publish, and enforce a code of conduct with respect to student loans.

Arkansas Welding Academy Inc. and its employees are banned from any revenue-sharing arrangements with lenders.

Neither employees of the Arkansas Welding Academy Inc. Office of Financial Aid nor those Arkansas Welding Academy Inc. employees who have responsibilities with respect to education loans shall solicit or accept any gift from a lender, guarantor, or servicer of education loans.

•  Gifts are defined as any gratuity, favor, discount, entertainment, hospitality, loan, or other item having a monetary value of more than a de minimus amount, and includes a gift of services, transportation, lodging, or meals, whether in kind, by purchase of a ticket, payment in advance, or reimbursement.
• Gifts do not include: standard material activities or programs related to a loan, default aversion/prevention, or financial literacy (e.g. workshops, training); food, refreshments, training, or informational material furnished to an employee of an institution as an integral part of a training session designed to improve the service of a lender, guarantor, or servicer of educational loans to the institution, if the training contributes to the professional development of the employee; loan benefits to a student employee if they are comparable to those provided to all students at the institution; entrance and exit counseling services provided to borrowers to meet the requirements of the HEA, provided that the institution retains control of the counseling and the counseling is not used to promote the lenders products; philanthropic contributions to the institution by the lender.

Employees of the Arkansas Welding Academy Inc. Office of Financial Aid and those Arkansas Welding Academy Inc. employees who have responsibilities with respect to education loans shall not accept from a lender or affiliate of any lender any fee, payment, or other financial benefit 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.

Arkansas Welding Academy Inc. will not, for any first-time borrower, assign through award packaging or other methods, a borrower’s private loans to a particular lender; or refuse to certify, or delay certification of, any loans based on the borrower’s selection of a particular lender or guaranty agency.

Arkansas Welding Academy Inc. shall not request or accept from any lender any offer of funds for private loans, including funds for an opportunity pool loan, to students in exchange for providing concessions or promises to the lender for a specific number of federal loans made, insured, or guaranteed, a specified loan volume, or a preferred lender arrangement.

Arkansas Welding Academy Inc. shall not request or accept from any lender any assistance with call center staffing or financial aid office staffing. Exceptions to these prohibitions include professional development training; providing counseling materials, debt management materials, etc., provided that the lender is disclosed on the materials and short-term nonrecurring staffing assistance during emergencies.

Employees of the Arkansas Welding Academy Inc. Office of Financial Aid and any Arkansas Welding Academy Inc. employees who have responsibilities with respect to education loans and who serve on an advisory board, commission, or group established by a lender, guarantor, or group of lenders or guarantors, shall be prohibited from receiving anything of value from the lender, guarantor, or group of lender or guarantors, except that the employee may be reimbursed for reasonable expenses incurred in serving on such advisory board, commission, or group.