Consumer Information

Luther College has maintained accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission since 1915. In addition, individual programs within the college maintain accreditation through specialized agencies.

Luther College

Accredited: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
http://hlcommission.org/
230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500
Chicago, IL 60604-1411
800-621-7440

Approved: American Association of University Women
www.aauw.org
1310 L St. NW, Suite 1000
Washington, DC. 20005
202-785-7700

Program Accreditation

Athletic Training

Approved: Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (baccalaureate level)
https://caate.net
6850 Austin Center Blvd., Suite 100
Austin, TX 78731-3184
512-733-9700

Chemistry

Approved: American Chemical Society
www.acs.org
1155 Sixteenth Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
800-333-9511

Education

Accredited: Iowa Department of Education
educateiowa.gov
400 E 14^th Street
Des Moines, IA 50319
515-281-5294

Music

Accredited: National Association of Schools of Music
nasm.arts-accredit.org
11250 Roger Bacon Drive, Suite 21
Reston, VA 20190-5248
703-437-0700

Nursing

Accredited: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
www.aacnnursing.org
655 K Street, NW, Suite 750
Washington, DC 20001
202-463-6930

Approved: Iowa Board of Nursing
https://nursing.iowa.gov
400 SW 8^th St., Suite B
Des Moines, IA 50309
515-281-3255

Social Work

Accredited: Council on Social Work Education (baccalaureate level)
www.cswe.org
1701 Duke Street, Suite 200
Alexandria, VA 22314-3457
703-683-8080

Summary

Iowa Code Section 261F.2 and Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 601.21, require the development, administration, and enforcement of a code of conduct governing educational loan activities. Our officers, employees, trustees and agents, including the alumni association, booster club, and other organizations associated with Luther College, agree to the provisions of this Code of Conduct and will refrain from:

• Refusing to certify or delaying the certification of an education loan based on a borrower’s choice of lender.
• Assigning a first-time borrower to a particular private education loan lender through the student’s financial aid award or another means.
• Packaging a private education loan in a student’s financial aid award, except when the student is ineligible for other financial aid, has exhausted his or her federal student aid eligibility, has not filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or refuses to apply for a federal student loan.
• Accepting impermissible gifts, goods, or services from a lender, lender servicer, or guarantor. The institution may accept default prevention, financial literacy, or student aid-related educational services or materials, or other items of a nominal value.
• Accepting philanthropic contributions from a lender, lender servicer, or guarantor that are related to the educational loans provided by the entity that is making the contribution.
• Serving on or otherwise participating as a member of an advisory council for a lender, lender affiliate, or lender servicer.
• Accepting from a lender or its affiliate any fee, payment, or other financial benefit as compensation for any type of consulting arrangement or other contract to provide education loan-related services to or on behalf of the lender.
• Accepting fees or other benefits in exchange for endorsing a lender or the lender’s loan products.
• Requesting or accepting an offer of funds for private education loans from a lender, in exchange for our promise to provide the lender with placement on a preferred lender list, or a certain number of volume of private education loans.
• This institution is committed to providing the information and resources necessary to help every student achieve educational success. To accomplish this goal the financial aid staff will consider each student’s individual needs.

A comprehensive Code of Conduct detailing permissible and impermissible activities has been provided to all of our officers, employees, and agents. You may review the detailed Code of Conduct (PDF) on our website.

There are currently several tax benefits available for higher education. The American Opportunity Credit and the Lifetime Learning Credit are available for educational expenses paid by the parent for their student and are a direct credit towards tax liability. Deductions are available for student loan interest as well as tuition and fees expense. The tax code also allows for an education exception to additional tax on early IRA distributions and the ability to cash in education savings bonds tax free. Because the specifics on each of these programs vary according to individual circumstances, we encourage you to discuss these options with your tax advisor.

For more information on these programs, we encourage you to view information offered by the Internal Revenue Service Student Information (Publication 970) pages.

Luther College students who are unable to complete any courses for the semester for which they enroll or withdraw will be evaluated for financial aid adjustments according to our Financial Aid Refund Policy (PDF). Costs are adjusted based on policies outlined on the Financial Services website.

Average Indebtedness of 2023 Graduates

Each year Luther College is required to report the average indebtedness of its graduates who borrow loans during their undergraduate career. We have chosen to report indebtedness in three segments as outlined below.

• $25,874 – represents the average borrowed in the Federal Stafford Loan, Federal Perkins Loan, and institutional loan programs
• $37,389 – represents the average borrowed in the Federal Stafford Loan, Federal Perkins Loan, institutional loan, and private loan programs
• $42,584 – represents the average total family debt and includes all student loans awarded to the student in addition to private and Federal PLUS loans borrowed by the family

A portion of the financial assistance you receive may be considered as taxable income. The following guidelines apply to students who are working toward a degree.

• Student loans are not considered income for federal tax purposes.
• Work-study earnings are considered taxable income. The college will report your earnings to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). W-2 earnings statements will be mailed and/or made available on NorseHub.luther.edu to students every January.
• The portion of any scholarship or grant attributable to services you perform is taxable as compensation.
• The portion of scholarship and grant assistance exceeding the cost of tuition, fees, books, supplies and equipment must be included as taxable income. (Housing and food costs are not considered in the calculation.)

To comply with the IRS requirements, you will need to determine the portion of your scholarship, grant, or fellowship assistance required to be included as taxable income on your tax return. You should keep receipts for all tuition, fees, books, supplies, and equipment required for your degree program. The difference between these costs and the amount of your scholarship, grant, or fellowship awards is the amount that must be included as taxable income.

Additional information regarding tax benefits applicable to the costs of higher education can be found in IRS Publication 970 (PDF).

When a full-time student withdraws from all classes during the semester by formal application through the Student Engagement Office, the comprehensive fee charged to that student will be reduced according to the percentage of the semester completed. For a statement of this policy, see the Financial Services website.