Title 11. Maryland Higher Education Commission — Subtitle 4. Other Powers and Duties

Before any institution of postsecondary education operating in this State discontinues academic or administrative operation, the institution shall file with the Commission the original or legible copies of all essential records of the academic achievements of all former students of the institution.

In the case of an institutional closure that results in a merger, the Commission may approve a plan to file the essential records of all former students of the institution with the successor institution.

The obligation of an institution under paragraph (1) of this subsection may not be discharged in bankruptcy.

The records shall present, as separate documents:

The records shall be accompanied by an affidavit as to the accuracy and completeness of the records on behalf of the institution’s:

If a student who attended an institution that closed in accordance with this title requests a copy of the student’s official academic transcript from the Commission and the Commission determines that the requested transcript is missing, incomplete, or in a format inaccessible to the student, the Commission may issue a replacement transcript for the student based solely on the most recent information provided by the institution that the student attended.

A replacement transcript issued in accordance with paragraph (1) of this subsection shall:

Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, a replacement transcript issued in accordance with this section shall be accepted as an official transcript by:

For purposes of student transfer, an institution of postsecondary education or a fully online distance education program in the State may consider, instead of or in addition to a replacement transcript, an unofficial transcript or other transcript information provided by the student that the receiving institution or program deems relevant.

The Commission shall adopt regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.

The regulations adopted in accordance with this subsection shall include:

Residing in a foreign country; and

Not eligible to receive federal student assistance.

Include the tuition waiver policy of each institution and a contact name and telephone number;

Be updated at least annually; and

Be shared with the military department for distribution to members of the Maryland National Guard.

Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, an institution of higher education approved by the Commission to operate in the State that does not possess regional accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education or another regional accrediting body approved by the Commission shall require its students to sign a letter of acknowledgment that the transfer of credits may be difficult if the student intends to transfer the credits to a regionally accredited institution of higher education in the State.

An institution of higher education in the State that does not possess regional accreditation from a regional accrediting body referenced in paragraph (1) of this subsection is exempt from the requirements of this section if the institution of higher education has written articulation agreements with three or more regionally accredited institutions of higher education in the State.

Create a template for the letter of acknowledgment required under subsection (a) of this section; and

Post the template on the Commission’s website.

There is a Nurse Support Program Assistance Fund in the Commission.

The Fund is a continuing, nonlapsing fund that is not subject to § 7–302 of the State Finance and Procurement Article.

The Treasurer shall separately hold and the Comptroller shall account for the Fund.

The Fund shall be invested and reinvested in the same manner as other State funds.

Any investment earnings of the Fund shall be paid into the Fund.

A plan developed under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall include:

A plan developed under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall enhance cultural diversity programming and sensitivity to cultural diversity through instruction and training of the student body, faculty, and staff at the institution of higher education.

On or before July 1 of each year, each institution shall submit the plan developed under subsection (b) of this section to the governing body of the institution for the governing body’s review.

On or before September 1 of each year, the governing body of an institution shall submit a progress report regarding the institution’s implementation of its plan to the Commission.

The Commission shall review the progress report submitted by each governing body under subsection (c) of this section to monitor compliance with the diversity goals of the State Plan for Higher Education.

On or before December 1 of each year, the Commission shall submit a report, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, to the Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee, the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, the House Appropriations Committee, and the House Committee on Ways and Means on the extent to which the institutions of higher education in the State are in compliance with the diversity goals of the State Plan for Higher Education.

In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.

“Community college” means a community college established under Title 16 of this article.

“Over–the–counter contraception” means a contraceptive drug or device approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration that can be obtained for use without a prescription.

How students are provided access to over–the–counter contraception on campus;

Whether the public senior higher education institution or community college has provided access to all methods of over–the–counter contraception as required under §§ 15–136 and 16–111 of this article;

The amount of over–the–counter contraception provided on campus, disaggregated by each method of over–the–counter contraception; and

A description of how the public senior higher education institution or community college has consulted with students and student organizations in relation to providing over–the–counter contraception on campus.

For all first–time, full–time undergraduate students at an institution of postsecondary education that operates in the State, the institution shall provide to the student information on the cost of higher education at the institution by completing and mailing or providing electronically, at a minimum, the information contained on the form known as the Financial Aid Shopping Sheet, as promulgated by the U.S. Department of Education.

The Financial Aid Shopping Sheet or the information contained on the Financial Aid Shopping Sheet shall be mailed or provided electronically to the student at the same time that an award of federal financial aid is mailed or provided electronically to the student.

The Commission shall collect student–level data from each public institution of higher education in the State on the parental status of students enrolled in each institution.

The Commission, in consultation with the public institutions of higher education, shall develop questions that allow each student to identify:

Each public institution of higher education shall place the questions developed under subsection (b) of this section on one or more forms that are used by the institution to collect demographic data from students.

Each public institution of higher education shall make the data collected under this section available to the Commission in accordance with the format determined by the Commission under subsection (d) of this section.

Establishing a common format and time frame for the collection and reporting of the data required under this section; and

Requiring the collection of parental status data to be included with the collection of other demographic data.