Information Guide
Information Guide
Educational institutions are required to disclose specific consumer information about the school to current and prospective students. The following is a summary of such consumer information with references to additional details and reports. Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information, material, and data contained within this document, absolute accuracy is not guaranteed. Questions about the compilation of this document or its contents should be directed to the Office of Accreditation and Assessment at (561) 803-2050.
Updated: February 7, 2024
Accreditation
Palm Beach Atlantic University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award the following degrees: associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, doctor of pharmacy, doctor of nursing practice, and doctor of philosophy. PBA also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about PBA accreditation may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, call (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org). Click here for the full accreditation statement. Persons wishing to review documents related to the accreditation of Palm Beach Atlantic University should contact the SACSCOC Liaison at (561) 803-2059.
Anti-Discrimination
Palm Beach Atlantic University complies with all applicable federal and state nondiscrimination laws and does not engage in unlawful discrimination on the basis of age, gender, disability, veteran status, race, color or national origin in any employment practice, admissions, education program or educational activity. This nondiscrimination policy covers admissions, employment and access to and treatment in University programs, services and activities.
Athletics
Palm Beach Atlantic University is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II and a member of the Sunshine State Conference. School colors are navy blue and white. The school mascot is the Sailfish. PBA has nine women’s intercollegiate sports (basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, track, and volleyball) and eight men’s intercollegiate sports (baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, and track). Click here to visit the official website of PBA athletics.
Graduation and academic success rates are reported annually to NCAA and are provided to student athletes, parents, high school coaches, and guidance counselors when an athletically-related student aid offer is made. The NCAA provides this information directly to high schools.
The Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act (EADA) requires co-educational institutions of postsecondary education that participate in a Title IV, federal student financial assistance program, and have an intercollegiate athletic program, to prepare an annual report to the Department of Education on athletic participation, staffing, and revenues and expenses, by men’s and women’s intercollegiate athletic teams. The Department of Education will use this information in preparing its required report to the Congress on gender equity in intercollegiate athletics.
Campus Safety
In 1990, Congress enacted the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act (Title II of Public Law 101-542), which amended the Higher Education Act of 1965. The 1998 amendments renamed the law the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. Click here to view the most recently published campus Clery report and to learn more on the services provided by PBA”s Campus Safety Office.
PBA utilizes an alert messaging system for current students, faculty and staff. The alert messaging system sends text messages to cell numbers in the event of an emergency. Click here for emergency response and evacuation procedures, particularly in the event of a hurricane.
Cash Management Contracts
Palm Beach Atlantic University has a Tier 1 arrangement with Nelnet (formerly Tuition Management Systems) for processing direct payments of Title IV funds on behalf of Palm Beach Atlantic University. Under the Department of Education Title IV cash management regulations, institutions are required to publicly disclose any contract that governs a Tier One or Tier Two Arrangement as well as information about the costs incurred by students who elect to use a financial account offered under one of those arrangements. The total consideration paid or received by the parties under the terms of this contract includes the following:
- Total number of students with a prepaid account that were enrolled during the award year 2022-2023: 0
- Mean amount of fees charged to students during the award year 2022-2023: $0.00
- Median amount of fees charged to students during the award year 2022-2023: $0.00
- Total invoice amount paid to TMS for the Refund program during the award year 2022-2023: $0.00
FERPA: Notice of Rights and Confidentiality of Student Records
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. Annually, Palm Beach Atlantic University informs students of these rights. A student’s rights are as follows:
- The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the university receives a request for access. A student should submit to the Provost, Registrar, Dean of the appropriate school, or other appropriate official, written requests that identify the record(s) he/she wishes to inspect. The university official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the university official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
- The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes are inaccurate or misleading. A student may ask the university to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. He/she should write to the university official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the university decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the university will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his/her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.
- The right to consent to disclosures of personally-identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception, which permits disclosure without consent, is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the university in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the university has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his/her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his/her professional responsibilities. Upon request, the university discloses education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
- The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the university to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is: Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, D.C., 20202-4605.
Financial Aid
Here are a multitude of resources pertaining to student financial aid. Information on the web includes:
- Federal aid
- Information for parents
- Scholarships
- State of Florida scholarships and grants
- Student loans
- Work study jobs
Palm Beach Atlantic University publishes annually its University Catalog and makes it available to students (prospective or enrolled) and parents seeking information about:
- Types of financial assistance available to help defray educational-related costs (tuition and fees, books and supplies, housing, meals, transportation, personal items, health insurance, international and other special programs of study), including:
- Program descriptions.
- Application procedures and forms.
- Student eligibility requirements.
- Availability of and eligibility requirements for state grant assistance from Florida (students from other states should inquire with the Director of Financial Aid).
- Criteria for selecting award recipients.
- The rights and responsibilities of students receiving financial assistance, including specific information regarding:
- Criteria for continued eligibility under each program.
- Standards of satisfactory academic progress and criteria for reestablishing eligibility.
- The method and frequency of financial aid disbursements.
- Terms of any loan, sample repayment schedule, necessity of repayment, entrance and exit counseling, terms and conditions of employment that are part of a student’s aid package.
- Terms and conditions of student employment under the federal work study program.
- Cost of attending the institution
- Tuition and fee information, including the University’ refund policy, may be obtained on the web.
Because of the nature of federal, state, and institutional guidelines affecting financial aid programs, the information contained in this document is subject to change.
Graduation & Completion Rates
Retention and graduation rates for degree-seeking first-time full-time undergraduate students can be obtained in PBA’s Fact Book. Completion and graduation rates for a specific cohort of the general student body can be viewed in the annual publication of PBA’s Common Data Set.
International Study Opportunities
Students can pursue a variety of opportunities to complement their studies through international education. Participation in these opportunities is an educational privilege awarded to students in good standing in the areas of academics, discipline, Workship, and Chapel.
David & Leighan Rinker Center for Experiential Learning (RCEL)
Study Abroad
PBA students are encouraged to study abroad in one of 20+ locations for a semester or a summer through the David and Leighan Rinker Center for Experiential Learning. With planning, the majority of PBA students can study abroad while receiving academic credit towards their 4-year degree plan. During a full semester program, students are enrolled full-time at a university abroad and receive PBA academic credit towards their degree while utilizing all of their financial aid.
To participate in a study abroad program, a student must:
- Have attained the minimum GPA for their desired program (varies by program).
- Have demonstrated high standards of personal maturity, responsibility, conduct, and motivation (any student involved in major or minor disciplinary action may forfeit participation in the program).
- Have completed two semesters as a full-time student at PBA prior to enrollment in the program.
- Be in good disciplinary and academic standing with the university.
Class Abroad
RCEL also facilitates short term faculty-led programs where PBA students take a course for academic credit that includes an international travel component. These programs vary each year, and are facilitated by various schools on campus. Previous trips have included:
- International Business in Prague
- Frederick M. Supper Honors Program in Germany
- Biology in Costa Rica
Serve Abroad
RCEL partners with various departments on campus to facilitate volunteer opportunities for students to serve the global community. Departments offering these opportunities have included the Gregory Center for Medical Missions, CM Global, Nursing, Global Development, and Intercultural Studies.
Interested students should contact RCEL@pba.edu for further information. RCEL is located in Okeechobee Hall, office 119.
Institutional Drug & Alcohol Abuse Policy and Information
Policy on alcohol and drugs is published annually in the student handbook The Navigator. Included is information on actions the school will take against a student who violates PBA’s Community Values System.
Notification of Disclosure of Directory Information
At its discretion, the institution may provide Directory Information in accordance with the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act to include: student name, address, telephone number, electronic mail address, photograph, grade level, enrollment status, date and place of birth, major/minor fields of study, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, previous educational agency or institution attended by the student, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, and weight and height of members of athletic teams.
A student may withhold Directory Information by notifying the Office of the Registrar in writing within one week after the published beginning date for a given semester. Request for non-disclosure will be honored by the institution for only one academic year; therefore, authorization to withhold Directory Information must be filed annually. Palm Beach Atlantic University assumes that failure on the part of any student to specifically request the withholding of categories of Directory Information indicates individual approval for disclosure. Please consider very carefully the consequences of any decision to withhold any category of Directory Information. Should the student decide to inform the institution not to release any or all of this information, any future requests for such information from non-institutional persons or organizations will be refused, except as provided for in the Act. The institution will honor any student’s request to withhold this information but cannot assume responsibility to contact students for subsequent permission to release such information. Regardless of the effect upon the student, the institution assumes no liability for honoring the student’s instructions that such information be withheld.
You may, at your discretion, grant the University permission to release information about your student records to a third party by submitting a completed Student Information Release Authorization Form. This form may be obtained in the Office of the Registrar at (561) 803-2072. The link is available for current students on PBA’s intranet, myPBA.
Vaccinations
PBA follows the State of Florida mandatory immunization requirements and utilizes the American College Health Association guidelines for the immunization of college students in developing the University immunization policies. All required and most recommended immunizations can be provided by the Counseling and Wellness Center. Health & Wellness also has information regarding vaccinations, student health insurance, personal counseling, and other services.
Veterans Services
The University seeks to comply with Executive Order 13607 of April 27, 2012 (Establishing Principles of Excellence for Educational Institutions Serving Service Members, Veterans, Spouses, and Other Family Members) by ensuring that eligible students have the information they need to make informed decisions concerning their federal military and veteran’s educational benefits.
PBA participates in the Yellow Ribbon program with the Veteran’s Administration designed for veterans who are traditional day undergraduate students, seeking their first degree, for the spring semester (Yellow Ribbon is not awarded in the summer). The program helps meet the gap in tuition/fee charges for eligible VA students whose costs exceed the $26,042.81 provided by the Post-9/11 GI Bill for 2022-2023. Students with questions should contact the School Certifying Official in the Office of Online Academic Success at (561) 803-2145. Click here to learn more on University services is participating in the Yellow Ribbon program.
Voter Registration
Palm Beach Atlantic University makes voter registration forms available to students and may be obtained from the Student Government Association in the SAIL (Student Activities, Involvement and Leadership) Office. Detailed Florida voter information is located at the Florida Secretary of State, Division of Elections website. Nonresident students may find voter registration information about their home state through the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. PBA will be among many organizations celebrating the annual Constitution Day on September 17, which commemorates the formation and signing of the U.S. Constitution.
Additional Information
The Palm Beach Atlantic University Fact Book is a collection of current and historical information designed to make frequently requested data readily accessible to students, faculty, staff, alumni, and any others with an interest in the university. Completion and graduation rates for a specific cohort of the general student body can be viewed in the annual publication of PBA’s Common Data Set.
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