Catalog Guidelines

The Catalog is a comprehensive reference document that explains all necessary programmatic and policy information for students, provided to students before enrollment.  See Minimum Standard 4.

About the school 
  • Mission Statement
  • Rules of operation such as days/times when open, academic calendar, holiday schedule
  • Description of the facilities where instruction will occur
  • ONLY SCHOOLS ACCREDITED BY A ED Recognized Accreditor - Statements that describe the licenses and/or accreditations for the school or the program(s)
  • Listing of directors, education supervisors, and instructors with their respective qualifications 
Program of Study and Course Descriptions – FOR EACH PROGRAM 
  • Program description including the scope, sequence, and length of time to complete
  • Program Outline OR Current course listings, descriptions of individual courses under each approved program
  • Description of the jobs the students will qualify for upon completing the program 
Admissions Information 
  • Description of how students are introduced to school policies, functions and personnel
  • Program entrance/admission requirements 
Academic Information 
  • Grading policy- How grades are calculated and what is considered passing for graduation
  • Attendance policy- maximum allowed absences, and if applicable, options for make-up work, options for students who are failing or have exceeded the allowed absences
  • Transfer of credit- How students transfer previous education to the institution, if allowed, (may include credit by examination and residency requirements), AND a disclosure that there is no guarantee their courses will transfer to outside institutions
  • Numerical graduation and placement rates for each authorized program 
Financial Information – FOR EACH PROGRAM 
  • Total cost of program
  • Tuition price for the program
  • Itemized list of other fees for the program, with any nonrefundable noted as such
  • Application fee listed as nonrefundable but no greater than $150 (if applicable) - Unaccredited cannot use other terms such as "registration fee” for this type of fee
  • Additional fees that could be charged in certain scenarios, if applicable
  • Description of financial aid services and/or GNPEC approved scholarship availability if offered OR a statement that no financial aid/scholarships are available 
Student Information 
  • Readmission policy for students dismissed or suspended for academic reasons
  • Conduct policy which includes reasons for dismissal and conditions on which students can be readmitted after dismissal OR if students cannot be readmitted after dismissal
  • Refund and/or cancellation policy that meets Minimum Standard 12 and Minimum Standard 13 and DOES NOT contain a fixed refund table
  • Complaint policy that meets Minimum Standard 14 and includes a link to this GNPEC page: “https://gnpec.georgia.gov/student-resources/complaints-against-institution”
  • ONLY SCHOOLS OFFERING A PROGRAM EXEMPT BY ANOTHER GA AGENCY - Disclosure that explains to students that “If you're a student in the (exempt program name(s)), you need to contact (State Agency name) to file complaints that weren’t resolved by your institution or to request your transcript if the institution or program closes.”
  • Explanation of requirements for graduation from the program(s)
  • Procedures for student to request transcripts after graduation
  • Career prep services provided and a disclaimer that job placement is not guaranteed
  • Description of additional learning resources available to students for extra information, practice, and review