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Instructions for Filing a Complaint about an Institution of Higher Education

For all types of complaints concerning colleges and universities, the first course of action must be to try to resolve the complaint directly with the administration of the college or university involved. The Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE) will not review a complaint until all grievance procedures at the institution have been followed, all avenues of appeal exhausted, and documentation provided that such procedures have been exhausted.

Please do not send a complaint to OSHE until you have read all of the information below. This will assure that you are sending your complaint to the appropriate agency/office.

OSHE handles only those complaints that concern educational programs or practices of degree-granting institutions subject to the Regulations of OSHE, with the exceptions noted below.

• OSHE does not handle anonymous complaints.
• OSHE does not intervene in matters concerning an individual's grades or examination results as these are the prerogative of the college's faculty.
• OSHE does not intervene in matters concerning tuition & fee refunds.
• OSHE does not intervene in matters concerning student conduct violations.
• OSHE does not intervene in human resources matters.
• OSHE does not handle complaints concerning actions that occurred more than two years ago.
• OSHE does not intervene in matters that are or have been in litigation.

Residents of other states and territories who are seeking information about filing a complaint about a Ó£»¨ÊÓƵ institution operating outside of Ó£»¨ÊÓƵ under the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), as well as Ó£»¨ÊÓƵ residents seeking information about filing a complaint about an out-of-state institution operating under SARA can find more information by viewing the SARA Agreement.

Ó£»¨ÊÓƵ residents who are seeking information about filing a complaint in regard to an out-of-state institution that is not operating under SARA, can file a complaint with Ó£»¨ÊÓƵ Office of the Attorney General, Division of Consumer Affairs (contact information below).

For complaints about:

• Ó£»¨ÊÓƵ student financial aid matters (e.g. student loans, grants, scholarships, TAG, NJ STARS, etc.), contact:

• (HESAA)
  800-792-8670 or 609-584-4480
  

• Programs in fields leading to teacher certification or for K-12 issues, contact:
  • 
    609-376-3500
    
    
• Programs leading to nursing licensure, contact:
  • 
    973-504-6516
    
    
• Programs leading to cosmetology and hairstyling licensure, contact:
  • 
    973-504-6400
• Career/vocational/trade school, contact:
• Department of Labor & Workforce Development (DLWD)
  609-659-9045
• Civil rights complaints involving discrimination based on race, color, national origin, age, disability and sex, including sexual harassment, should be filed with:
  
  Office for Civil Rights (OCR) – Enforcement Office
  U.S. Department of Education
  32 Old Slip, 26th floor
  New York, NY 10005 – 2500
  Telephone: 646-428-3900
  FAX: 646-428-3843
  TDD: 877-521-2172
  Email - OCR.NewYork@ed.gov
  Or:
  New Jersey Office of the Attorney General
  
• Consumer fraud on the part of a NJ institution should be filed with:
  • New Jersey Office of the Attorney General
    

Complainants should be aware that OSHE does not conduct a judicial investigation and, with the exception of complaints brought by non-Ó£»¨ÊÓƵ residents under SARA, has no legal authority to require a college or university to comply with a complainant’s request. If you have reviewed these instructions and still feel your issue falls under the purview of the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, then complete and submit the