Notification of Title IV Student Complaint Process
The federal Higher Education Act prohibits colleges from misrepresenting educational programs, financial charges, or employability of its graduates. The Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) handles the complaint review process for Washington state public community and technical college students.
The Higher Education Act (HEA) prohibits an institution of higher education from engaging in a “substantial misrepresentation of the nature of its educational program, its financial charges, or the employability of its graduates.” 20 U.S.C. §1094(c)(3)(A). Further, each state must have “a process to review and appropriately act on complaints concerning the institution including enforcing applicable state laws.” 34 C.F.R. § 600.9. The Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) maintains a process to investigate complaints of this nature brought by community and technical college students in the state of Washington. For information, contact SBCTC Student Services, PO Box 42495, Olympia, WA 98504-2495, ballinder@sbctc.edu, 360-704-4315 or visit sbctc.edu.