It’s official: the BPPE STRF Assessment Fee (Student Tuition Recovery Fund) is reducing to $0 per $1,000 of institutional charges on April 1, 2024.

This means that any student who signs an enrollment agreement before April 1, 2024 will be assessed the current fee of $2.50/$1000 of institutional charges.

Students who sign an enrollment agreement after April 1, 2024 will not pay a fee.

What is the purpose of the STRF?

Section 94923(a) of the Act, “the Student Tuition Recovery Fund relieves or mitigates economic loss suffered by a student while enrolled in an institution not exempt from this article pursuant to Article 4 (commencing with Section 94874), who, at the time of the student’s enrollment, was a California resident or was enrolled in a California residency program, prepaid tuition, and suffered economic loss.”

Why is the Assessment changing from $2.50 to $0?

The reason for this change is in section 94925(a)(b) of the Act.  “(a) the amount in the Student Tuition Recovery Fund shall not exceed twenty-five million dollars($25,000,000) at any time. (b) If the bureau has temporarily stopped collecting the Student Tuition Recovery Fund assessments because the fund has approached the twenty-five million dollar ($25,000,000) limit in subdivision (a), the bureau shall resume collecting Student Tuition Recovery Fund assessments when the fund falls below twenty million dollars ($20,000,000).

That fund is at the required threshold, and therefore the assessments are ending for now.

What changes do I need to make to my catalog and enrollment agreement, if any?

Although the BPPE STRF Assessment fee will be $0, all required verbatim statements pertaining to the Student Tuition Recovery Fund must remain in your catalog and enrollment agreement. Be sure to edit the amount of the fee in your Fee Schedule in both documents. Once you have updated your catalog don’t forget to post it to your website to ensure your website stays up-to-date with accurate information, and remains complaint with BPPE website requirements.

Does my school still need to maintain the STRF supporting documentation?

Yes. Even though the assessment will be $0, all institutions must:

  • Complete and submit the quarterly STRF Reporting Form timely
  • Maintain all datapoints of supporting documentation which substantiate each quarterly report

Let’s read on in the Act, section 94925(c).  “an otherwise eligible student who enrolled during a period when institutions were not required to collect Student Tuition Recovery Fund assessments is eligible for Student Tuition Recovery Fund payments despite not having paid any Student Tuition Recovery Fund assessment.”

Ensure that you are recording all required datapoints for each student. The Bureau can request this documentation for their review at any time. Get in touch with us if you need guidance STRF reporting and records maintenance!

Where can I learn more about this?

You can learn more about the STRF at the Bureau’s website.

Access the full text of the California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009 here, and the corresponding regulations here.

If your school struggles with STRF data and BPPE compliance, call the experts at School Builder Plus. In us, you will find support and guidance to ensure that your daily, quarterly, and yearly operations stay compliant . Explore more BPPE compliance related topics here.