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Consumer Information

This page has been created to fulfill OLLU's compliance with the disclosure requirements under Title IV, Title IX and other areas of state and federal law. Title IV requires institutions participating in financial aid programs to disclose specified information to all prospective students, applicants, employees and current students. Title IX requires disclosure of information about the University Title IX Officer and Title IX policy information.

The following information is disclosed in compliance with federal law. For additional information, please call or email the appropriate office or visit the indicated websites.

General University Information

Financial Aid Information, Policies and Regulations

For more information on Financial Aid and related polices, contact:
Esmeralda Flores, Director of Financial Aid
emflores@ollusa.edu
Financial Aid Office Staff

Health and Safety

Information/Technology Policies

Student Outcomes

Athletics

Teacher Preparation

Voter Registration

Criminal History and Occupational License Notice

The following is information for students who pursue a program that prepares them for an occupational license.

It is required in the State of Texas as per HB 1508 and the Texas Occupations Code 50.001, to notify students enrolled in or applying for admission to a program that may prepare an individual for an occupational license under Texas Occupations Code 58.001 and/or if you later decide to change to a program that prepares you for an occupational license as defined under Texas Occupations Code 58.001, that:

An individual who has been convicted of an offense may be ineligible for issuance of an occupational license upon completion of the educational program:

  1. Each licensing authority that issues an occupational license to an individual who completes an education program must establish guidelines which state the reasons a particular crime is considered to relate to a particular license and any other criterion that affects the decisions of the licensing authority (note: a "licensing authority" is a state agency or political subdivision that issues an occupational license such as the Texas Education Agency (TEA)).
  2. Local or county licensing authorities may issue additional guidelines that relate to criminal history. Applicants should contact their respective local or county licensing authority for more details.
  3. A person may request a criminal history evaluation letter regarding the personal eligibility for a license issued by a licensing authority under Texas Occupation Code 53.102.

Applicants are encouraged to review all applicable eligibility requirements related to the respective occupational license. Questions related to eligibility requirements should be directed to the applicable licensing authority. 

Annual Notice

OLLU is required by federal law to distribute or make available certain consumer information to current students, current employees, prospective students, and prospective employees. The notice linked below is distributed by email to the university community in September. In addition, it is shared through the Lake Weekly newsletter. It provides a brief summary of information on this site and the OLLU consumer information disclosures and other notifications required by law. 

State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA)

Our Lady of the Lake University has been approved by Texas to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA). 

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Heading What is SARA?
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The State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) is a voluntary agreement among the 49 SARA member states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico to permit certain types of educational activities without requiring institutions to seek state-by-state authorization.

SARA was created in response to program integrity regulations released by the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) on Oct. 29, 2010. One of the regulations focused on the need for an institution offering distance or correspondence education to acquire authorization from any outside state in which it operates. If an institution wishes to offer educational opportunities outside of its state or to students in other states, the U.S. Department of Education requires that the institution complies with any applicable state approval or licensure requirements.  

SARA is an agreement among member states, districts and territories that establishes comparable national standards for interstate offering of postsecondary distance education.

Distance learning activities such as enrolling students residing in other U.S. states in online or video courses, allowing students to complete experiential learning placements (internships, clinicals, etc.) in other U.S. states, or offering students short courses in other U.S. states are all activities that require state authorization.

Programs involving licensed professions may be subject to state-specific additional program authorization requirements; students and prospective students in these programs are advised to review the state requirements of their discipline. Below are the links per discipline.

Social Work

Counseling

If an institution fails to comply with applicable authorization requirements, it may lose the ability to participate in federal financial aid programs.
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  • Enroll online students from SARA member states, subject to program-specific state authorization permissions.
  • Allow current OLLU students to complete experiential learning placements in SARA member states; not all programs allow for opportunities in every SARA member state.
  • Permit current OLLU students to engage in independent research or field study in SARA member states.
  • Arrange OLLU-sponsored field trips in SARA member states; field trips are day-long trips.
  • Offer short courses in SARA member states, subject to the SARA parameters for short courses listed in the SARA Manual.
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SARA only applies when an institution follows a specific set of rules regarding its physical presence in the state; only select online or distance learning activities and experiential learning placements are covered by SARA. All OLLU offerings will follow the provisions stipulated in the SARA Manual and applicable state law/regulations.

NC-SARA membership, however, does not grant reciprocity or exempt us from state professional licensing requirements.  As a result, licensing requirements in Texas may not be recognized as sufficient to obtain a license in any other state.
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SARA is intended to make it easier for students to take online courses offered by postsecondary institutions based in another state, thereby increasing educational opportunity and access. It protects students in other states by providing a process by which out-of-state distance learning students can have their complaints about substantive programmatic or institutional issues addressed.

As stipulated in the OLLU Student Handbook, OLLU has established grievance procedures to address diverse issues:

Academic Grievance Procedure

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)

Title IX Incident

Nondiscrimination Policy

Students with Disabilities 

Additionally, students in a SARA member state must first follow the OLLU Grievance Procedure outlined above. 

If the issue is not resolved satisfactorily, an online or distance learning student from any SARA member state may appeal to the SARA portal agency in Texas within two years of the incident. Complaint appeals should be addressed to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. A description of the process for complaints is available; questions about their complaint process should be addressed to studentcomplaints@thecb.state.tx.us.

While the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board will be the primary authority responsible for complaints, the SARA portal agency in the state where the student is located may assist as needed. Accordingly, students may wish to consult the list of SARA Portal Entity Contacts.

The SARA Student Complaint Process flowchart illustrates the relationship between the OLLU Grievance Procedure and the SARA Student Complaint Process as well as how the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board will work with the SARA portal agency in the state where the student is located.

Our Lady of the Lake University is fully committed to compliance with the applicable regulations and to providing disclosure and student consumer information. For any questions about the disclosures or consumer information posted on this page you may contact OLLU Compliance Officer Guadalupe Marquez at compliance@ollusa.edu. 

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