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Consumer Information

Consumer Information

The Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965 is a federal law which authorizes student aid programs. Reauthorizations of this act prescribe disclosure requirements for institutions wishing to participate in the federal student aid program. You have a right to consumer and safety information as a prospective student, enrolled student, prospective employee, or actual employee of Gulf Coast State College. The following notifications will briefly describe consumer and safety information as well as designate where to obtain further detail, e.g. the exact electronic address at which the information is posted. Paper copies of this information will be provided upon request.

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Report on Athletic Program Participation Rates and Financial Support Data

Schools that offer athletically-related financial aid must produce an annual report that includes completion and graduation information. Such reports must be provided to prospective student athletes, their parents, high school coach and guidance counselor.

The completion and graduation rate reports GCSC discloses to student athletes – which are called "Commodore Athletic Academic Report Cards" – may be viewed online at &

Information About the School’s Academic Programs, Costs, Facilities & Policies

Academic Programs –

School costs –

Withdrawal procedures, refunds, and return of aid –

Accreditation and licensure –

  • Information about the names of associations, agencies, or governmental bodies that accredit, approve, or license GCSC and its programs may be found at /about-gcsc/accreditation/
  • Students may review GCSC's accreditation, approval, or licensing documentation by contacting the office of Academic Affairs & Learning Support.
  • Information about whether completion of a program meets educational requirements for a specific professional license or certification needed for employment in an occupation in a state if the program is designed to do so or is advertised as doing so can be found online at /academics/online/professional-licensure-disclosure.html
  • Information about who to contact for various student issues may be found online at /current-students/resolution-issues.html

  • Information about filing a complaint against Gulf Coast State College with the following organizations may be found online at:

    • Submitting a complaint to Gulf Coast State College /catalog/current/academic-regulations-information/
    • Submitting a complaint to GCSC's state approval entity, The Florida College System (FCS)  
    • Submitting a complaint to GCSC's accreditor, The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
    • Submitting a complaint via email to The U.S. Department of Education (ED) compliancecomplaints@ed.gov
    • Submitting a complaint to the Department of Defense (DOD) regarding Tuition Assistance or My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA)
    • Submitting a complaint to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regarding the G.I. Bill 
    • Submitting a complaint to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) regarding private/alternative student loans 

Arbitration –

  • GCSC does not require students receiving Title IV aid to agree to a pre-dispute arbitration agreement or a class action waiver as a condition of enrollment, so disclosure of such conditions of enrollment are not necessary to enrolled and prospective students and the public a plain language.

Disability –

Transfer of credit policies –

Vaccination Policies –

  • Gulf Coast State College does not have a policy requiring student vaccination; however, programs within the Health Sciences and Public Safety divisions may have program requirements for vaccinations related to clinical placements and internships. Health requirements are provided in the program application packets or by contacting the coordinator of the program. For additional questions please contact Kelli Walsingham, Dean of Student Life, at kwalsingham@gulfcoast.edu.

Teach-out Plan –

  • GCSC is not required by its accrediting agency to maintain a teach-out plan.

Final Judgements against GCSC –

  • There are no enforcement actions or prosecutions brought against GCSC by a state or federal law enforcement agency.
  • There are no final judgments that would cause an adverse action by an accrediting agency against GCSC.
  • GCSC's state authorization has not been revoked.
  • GCSC has no limitation, suspension, or termination of title IV eligibility.

Textbook information may be found at –

The most recent Library Annual Report may be found online at –

  • The Library's Annual Reports can be found online at
  • Information regarding penalties and institutional policies on copyright infringement can be found in Manual of Policy 5.047 online at /about-gcsc/documents/manual-of-policy.pdf

Disseminating Completion, Graduation and Transfer-Out Rates –

Retention, Placement, & post-graduate study information –

Student Persistence Rules / Placement Rate of Vocational Completers

Articulation Information

  • A list of postsecondary schools with which GCSC has established an articulation agreement may be found at

Diversity Information

  • Information about student body diversity, including the percentage of enrolled, full-time students who are (1) male, (2) female, (3) federal Pell grant recipients, and (4) self-identified members of a major racial or ethnic group are available in the Office of Institutional Effectiveness on the Panama City Campus (/about-us/administration-offices/institutional-effectiveness/).

Economic Security Report (ESR)

  • The ESR, which can be found online at  aims to furnish students, parents, and other interested parties with additional information about the employment, earnings, and continuing education outcomes of Florida College System graduates by institution and major program of study.

Teacher Preparation Data

  • Title II Teacher Preparation Data may be found online at

U.S. Department of Education (ED) College Navigator Website

  • Gulf Coast State College's IPEDS ID is 134343
  • Information about how to obtain institutional data according to the US Department of Education's (ED) College Navigator website can be found online at

U.S. Department of Education (ED) College Scorecard Website –

  • Information about GCSC can be found online at

Drug & Alcohol Abuse Program

Information on GCSC's Drug & Alcohol Abuse Program, which is reviewed and updated every even year, can be found online at /campus-life/student-support-services/drug-alcohol.html or can be obtained in-person by contacting:

Lloyd Harris
Dean, Student Engagement
Phone: (850) 769-1551 ext, 3211
Email: lharris@gulfcoast.edu

Drug-Free Workplace Policy

Information about GCSC's drug-free workplace policy may be found online at /about-gcsc/documents/manual-of-policy.pdf

Financial Assistance Available to Students

  • Gulf Coast State College's federal Office of Postsecondary Education ID (OPE-ID) is 001490-00
  • Gulf Coast State College's state Post-Secondary Institution code (PSI) is 032
  • Gulf Coast State College's 9-digit Tax Identification Number (TIN) is 59-1208155
  • Gulf Coast State College's 9-digit DUNS number is 026280982
  • Gulf Coast State College's "Net Price Calculator", which allows prospective students to enter information about themselves to find out what students like them paid to attend the institution in the previous year (after taking grants and scholarship aid into account) may be found online at www.gulfcoast.edu/tuition-aid/financial-aid/net-price-calculator/
  • Information on GCSC's "College Financing Plan" can be found online at /tuition-aid/financial-aid/understanding-your-award.html
  • The procedures and forms by which students apply for assistance can be found at /tuition-aid/financial-aid/
  • Student financial aid eligibility requirements, the criteria for selecting recipients from the group of eligible applicants, the criteria for determining the amount of a student's award and the criteria for continued eligibility under each financial aid program can be found at:
  • Satisfactory Academic Progress standards that a student must meet to receive federal financial aid and the criteria by which those who have failed to maintain SAP may re-establish aid eligibility may be found at /tuition-aid/financial-aid/satisfactory-academic-progress.html
  • The method by which financial assistance disbursements will be made to students and the frequency of those disbursements may be found at /tuition-aid/financial-aid/understanding-your-award.html
  • The way GCSC provides for Pell-eligible students to obtain or purchase required books and supplies by the seventh day of a payment period and how students may opt out may be found at /tuition-aid/financial-aid/understanding-your-award.html
  • Entrance & Exit counseling information, the terms of any loan received by students as part of their financial assistance package, a sample loan repayment schedule and the necessity for repaying loans may be found at /tuition-aid/financial-aid/loans/
  • The general conditions and terms applicable to any employment provided to students as part of their financial assistance package may be found at /tuition-aid/financial-aid/work-study.html
  • GCSC does not have a preferred lender list/arrangement for private/alternative loans
  • A student's enrollment in a program of study abroad approved for credit by GCSC may be considered enrollment at GCSC for the purpose of applying for assistance under the Federal Student Aid programs. Please contact the financial aid office by visiting /tuition-aid/financial-aid/ for further details.
  • GCSC does not participate in the federal government's Perkins loan or TEACH grant programs
  • The contract ("Tier One Arrangement") GCSC has agreed to with BankMobile may be found online at  or /tuition-aid/financial-aid/documents-forms/misc/bank-mobile-contract.pdf
  • The number of BankMobile account holders and mean/median fees that these account holders are assessed during the 2019-2020 aid year may be found on line at or /tuition-aid/financial-aid/documents-forms/1920/bank-mobile-account-fee-data.pdf
  • Foreign Sources & Gifts:
    • GCSC is not owned or controlled by foreign sources; &
    • GCSC does not have any contracts with or gifts from foreign sources that, alone or combined, have a value of $250,000.
  • Since eligibility for institutional aid can be impacted by receiving nonfederal aid, information on how GCSC makes award adjustments and how receipt of assistance impacts eligibility for, or the amount of, institutional aid can be found online at /tuition-aid/financial-aid/understanding-your-award.html 
  • Availability and eligibility for grant assistance programs in the state of Florida may be found online at

    Information on how to contact the Federal Student Aid (FSA) Ombudsman's Office
    FSA Ombudsman Group
    P.O. Box 1843
    Monticello, KY 42633
    Telephone: 877-557-2575
    Fax: 606-396-4821

Student Loan Practices Code of Conduct

Information about GCSC's student loan practices & code of conduct policy (6.108) may be found online at /about-gcsc/documents/manual-of-policy.pdf

Regulations published in the Federal Register on October 29, 2010 [75 FR 66665 and FR 66832] by the U.S. Department of Education require postsecondary institutions that participate in the student financial assistance programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA), as amended, to disclose to prospective students certain information about the institution’s Gainful Employment (GE) Programs. "Gainful Employment" refers to non-degree educational programs at public institutions that are eligible for federal student aid because they prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation.

In this Federal Register notice, the Department issues new and revised regulations regarding gainful employment, addressing concerns about educational programs intended to prepare students for gainful employment in recognized occupations. These programs, however, often leave students with student loan debt that is unmanageable compared to their earnings or provide no significant earnings advantage over individuals with only a high school diploma. Additionally, the Department aims to improve transparency by offering information on the financial costs and benefits of nearly all academic programs at postsecondary institutions participating in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA). These regulations will take effect on July 1, 2024. 

Reports on Campus Security

Crime logs

Emergency Response & Evacuation –

  • Depending on the specific situation, the emergency response of both those on GCSC campus and those responding to the campus may differ. The links on this page are intended to give you a basic guideline of what to do. As always, stay calm and be aware of your surroundings in the event that the unfolding situation requires you to adjust your normal response to the incident taking place.

    When it is safe to return to your building, classrooms, or vehicles, the “ALL CLEAR” will be given by designated personnel. Do not leave the designated safety areas unless instructed to do so as this could create another potentially dangerous situation for you and for others.

    Visit /campus-life/campus-safety/emergency-response.html and the following webpages for more information.

  • /campus-locations
  • /campus-life/campus-safety/emergency-response.html
  • /campus-life/campus-safety/active-shooter.html

Timely Warning & Emergency Notification

  • In the event of an emergency that would affect any of GCSC’s campuses, emergency notification alerts would be sent as soon as possible with information on the type of emergency and suggested safety steps to be taken. In some rare occasions, the notification may be delayed in being delivered if the delivery of that notification would increase the risk of harm to the students, visitors, faculty, and staff.
  • Please visit /campus-life/campus-safety/alert.html to sign up for GCSC alerts
  • Please visit /campus-life/campus-safety/emergency-notification.html for more information.

Sexual Assault Prevention

  • The Florida Department of Law Enforcement's "Florida Sexual Offenders and Predators" search page

Code of Conduct

Missing Persons Policy

  • Generally, Florida College System institutions are not allowed to provide student housing so GCSC does not have a missing persons policy to disclose. 

General

Privacy of Student Records and the Family Educational Rights Privacy Act

  • The Family Educational Rights and Privacy act (FERPA) is a federal law which affords prospective and enrolled students the right to protect the privacy of their records.
  • GCSC’s FERPA information may be found online on the FERPA webpage at /admissions/ferpa.html
  • Further privacy information may be found online at /privacy-policy.html

  • Information can also be obtained in-person by contacting:

    Merissa E. Hudson
    Executive Director of Enrollment Management/Registrar
    Enrollment Services Building
    Phone: (850) 769-1551 ext. 4888
    Email: MHudson@GulfCoast.edu

New Student Orientation

Resolution of Student Issues

  • Information on procedures for the resolution of various student issues can be obtained in-person by contacting:

    Lloyd Harris
    Dean of Student Engagement
    Phone: (850) 769-1551 ext, 3211
    Email: lharris@gulfcoast.edu
    or
    Kelli Walsingham
    Dean of Student Life
    Phone: (850) 873-3514
    Email: KWalsingham@gulfcoast.edu

  • Out-of-state distance education students who have completed the internal institutional grievance process and the applicable state grievance process, may appeal non-instructional complaints to the FL-SARA PREDEC Council. For additional information on the complaint process, please visit the .

  • Faculty and staff who receive a complaint are encouraged to forward such information to the college's Administration by submitting a ""

Availability of Employees for Information Dissemination Purposes

  • The Enrollment Services office is available on a full-time basis to assist enrolled or prospective students in obtaining information on GCSC, graduation rates and completion rates.
  • The Financial Aid office is available on a full-time basis to assist enrolled or prospective students in obtaining information on financial assistance.
  • The office of Campus Safety & Security is available on a full-time basis to assist enrolled or prospective students in obtaining information on security policies and crime statistics.

Drug-Free Campus Policy

Voter Registration

  • Information on voter registration may be found at , , and
Gulf Coast State College does not discriminate against any person in its programs, activities, policies or procedures on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, marital status, religion, age, gender, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. All questions or inquiries regarding compliance with laws relating to non-discrimination and all complaints regarding sexual misconduct or discrimination, may be directed to Lee Wood, Executive Director, Human Resources/Title II/504/Title IX Coordinator and Employment Equity Officer, Gulf Coast State College, 5230 W. US Highway 98, Panama City, FL 32401.