The University of Louisville holds itself and its university community to the highest standards of honesty and integrity and is committed to fostering a culture of compliance and ethics. The university expects its employees and others acting on its behalf to comply with external laws and regulations and follow the university’s Standards of Conduct and Cardinal Principles.  

The U.S. Department of Education has regulations (34 CFR §668.71 through 668.74) regarding the prohibition of misrepresentation. The purpose of this statement is to educate our university community about the regulation and what it prohibits.

The University of Louisville is prohibited under federal regulations from making, directly or indirectly, any substantial misrepresentation or misleading statement (as outlined below) to a student, prospective student, member of the public, accrediting agency, state agency, or to the U.S. Department of Education.

Substantial misrepresentations and/or misleading statements may not be made about:

• The nature of an educational program
• The nature of any financial charges
• The employability of graduates
• The relationship with the U.S. Department of Education

Examples of statements about an institution’s educational programs, financial charges, and employability of graduates that apply to misrepresentation are provided in the regulation.

Definitions

Misleading statement is any statement that has the likelihood or tendency to deceive or confuse.

Misrepresentation is any false, erroneous, or misleading statement an eligible institution, one of its representatives, or any ineligible institution, organization, or person with whom the eligible institution has an agreement to provide educational programs, or to provide marketing, advertising, recruiting or admissions services makes directly or indirectly to a student, prospective student or any member of the public, or to an accrediting agency, to a State agency, or to the Secretary. Misrepresentation includes the dissemination of a student endorsement or testimonial that a student gives either under duress or because the institution required the student to make such an endorsement or testimonial to participate in a program.

Substantial misrepresentation is any misrepresentation on which the person to whom it was made could reasonably be expected to rely, or has reasonably relied, to that person’s detriment.

Statement is any communication made in writing, visually, orally, or through other means.

Prospective student is any individual who has contacted an eligible institution for the purpose of requesting information about enrolling at the institution or who has been contacted directly by the institution or indirectly through advertising about enrolling at the institution.

Reporting Concerns of Misrepresentation

Concerns regarding institutional misrepresentation should be brought to the attention of the University Integrity and Compliance Office at compliance@louisville.edu. Additionally, the University of Louisville provides an anonymous, toll-free compliance hotline to report concerns online or by calling 1-877-852-1167.