Consumer Information
In compliance with U.S. Department of Education Student Consumer Information guidelines, The Ailey School provides to prospective and current students all consumer information as required by state and federal laws and regulations. These laws are intended to satisfy students' right-to-know, and afford the opportunity for students to make fully informed choices regarding the institution they elect to attend.
Accreditation and Credentials
The Ailey School is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD). A copy of the School's accreditation and other credentials may be obtained from the Admissions Office. The Ailey School is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as an institution of higher education and is eligible to participate in Title IV programs. The Ailey School is recognized by the US Veterans Administration as an eligible school to participate in Veteran's Educational Benefit Programs. The Ailey School is authorized under federal law to enroll non-immigrant alien students.
Student Handbooks
The Ailey School Student Handbooks provide essential information for students and their parents. Handbooks are distributed annually to all incoming and currently enrolled students and are updated regularly. It is the responsibility of each student to read their division-specific handbook and become familiar with School policies and procedures as well as their rights and responsibilities as an Ailey School student.
Professional Division Student Handbook
Junior Division Student Handbook
Admissions Policy and Procedures
Students must audition for acceptance to the Certificate Program, Scholarship Program, Independent Study and Summer Intensive Programs by submitting the following:
- An online application.
- A $20 application fee.
- An audition* - students may audition in person at a city on our annual audition tour, OR by submission of an audition video.
Return of Title IV Funds Policy
The Federal “Return of Title IV Funds” legislation requires that when a student completely withdraws on or before completing 60% of the semester, the amount of financial aid (federal grants and loans) earned must be calculated. The school and/or student may then be required to return some of the federal funds awarded to the student. The percentage of Title IV aid to be returned is equal to the number of calendar days remaining in the semester divided by the total number of calendar days in the semester. If a student received more aid than was earned, the excess funds must be returned.
Please see the Financial Aid FAQ entitled What is The Return of Title IV Funds Policy for the full policy.
Enrollment Statistics
Student Body Diversity Rates
Under Higher Education Amendments Post-Secondary Institutions must publish the diversity rates of its student body. As the curriculum of Certificate and Independent-Study Program require fulltime attendance, there are no part-time student diversity rates. The rates below reflect diversity rates for The Ailey School’s 2016-2017 school year.
Completion and Retention Rates
According to the Federal Title IV Higher Education Amendments of 1998, schools must track the rate at which students complete their post-secondary education. The cohort used to calculate this rate is restricted by the Amendments to students who begin their enrollment at a post-secondary school for the first time since completing high school. As the Certificate and Independent-Study Programs are fulltime programs that require students to complete either program within the timeframes of the program. As the Certificate Program is a 3-year long program, current rates are based on students who were “first-time, first-enrolled” in fall 2014.
Gender and Diversity of Completers
Retention Rates
The Retention Rate of the first-time, first-term students who started their studies in the fall 2014 semester is 100% as all four Certificate Students re-enrolled in the fall 2015 semester. All four Independent-Study students graduated at the end of the spring 2015 semester after the successfully completing the 2014-15 school year.
Career Outcomes
The Ailey School is proud of its history of developing accomplished, well-rounded women and men who contribute to society as artists, educators, and performers. Alumni of our B.F.A., Scholarship, Certificate, and Independent Study programs have pursued successful performing arts careers in a wide range of leading dance companies and Broadway productions. Alumni additionally become choreographers, producers, directors of their own companies, arts administrators, and dance teachers. Others have gone on to study at prestigious conservatories, colleges and universities, pursuing both dance and non-dance degrees. A comprehensive list of alumni can be found on the Alumni page. Survey results on post-completion employment statistics are collected annually. If you are an alumna of The Ailey School and wish to be included in our statistics, please email alumni@alvinailey.org.
Gainful Employment Data
In accordance with the Student Consumer Information Regulations of the United States Department of Education, The Ailey School provides students and their families information to which they are entitled to as consumers.
The Ailey School is committed to providing full disclosure of all consumer information as required by state and federal laws and regulations. These laws and regulations are intended to satisfy students' right-to-know, and offer students and their families the information needed in order to make fully informed choices regarding the institution they elect to attend.
Certificate Program Gainful Employment Data
Independent Study Program Gainful Employment Data
Health and Safety
Policy on Drugs, Tobacco, and Alcohol Abuse
Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation (AADF) and The Ailey School are committed to promoting the physical, intellectual, social, and ethical development of all individuals and to preventing alcohol and other drug-related problems among all members of its community. To that end, the unlawful possession, use, or distribution of a controlled substance (illicit drugs, alcohol, etc.) either on AADF's property or at AADF sponsored activities, is prohibited. Any person found to have violated this policy will be subject to sanctions including, but not limited to, admonition, disciplinary probation, termination of employment or enrollment, complaint to civil authorities, and/or referral for counseling through outside intervention organizations.
The Ailey School provides resources and referral services for all students confronted with a problem of drug and/or alcohol abuse. This resource list can be found in The Ailey School Student Handbook, which is distributed to every full-time student, and in the Admissions Office. Employees may obtain information about such resources from the office of the Human Resources Generalist.
This policy and its requirements are in accordance with the requirements of the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 and the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Amendments of 1989 and will be distributed annually to each AADF employee each full-time Ailey School student.
Drug, Alcohol & Tobacco Policy
Campus Security
Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation (AADF) does not condone malevolent behavior of any kind. The facilities are monitored by AADF staff throughout operating hours. Students are asked to report to the School Administrator or Security Supervisor, any incidence of physical assault, sexual molestation (forced, or not), manifestation of prejudice, or theft occurring on campus. Guilty parties may be subject to disciplinary action by AADF. Statistics concerning the occurrence of reported offenses for the three previous calendar years on campus are available in The Ailey School "Annual Campus Security and Crime Statistics Report" (below). AADF is also committed to providing an environment that is safe and secure. The annual security and fire safety compliance document is available from the Facilities Manager upon request. The document contains information regarding campus security and personal safety including: crime prevention, fire safety, crime reporting policies, and disciplinary procedures.
Annual Campus Security and Crime Statistics Report
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
For information on FERPA, click here.
Transcript Requests
To request an Official Transcript, students must fill out the online Transcript Request Form and pay a $15 processing. Upon receipt of payment, transcripts will be mailed within 5 business days.
Students who prefer to pick up their Official Transcripts in-person will receive the transcript in a sealed envelope to deliver to another institution. The transcript must remain sealed in the envelope when delivered to another institution in order to be considered official.
Students that attended The Ailey School prior to 2006, should contact the Registrar directly to inquire about the availability of their student records. The Ailey School may deny transcript requests to students with past-due balances on their record.
If you need assistance or need to request multiple transcripts at once, please e-mail registrar@alvinailey.org.
Complaints
Grievance Policy
Both enrolled and prospective students may file a formal complaint about the School with the School’s Administration for resolution. The grievance policy can found on page 39 of The Student Handbook.
New York State Office of College and University Evaluation
For information and guidance on how and under what circumstances enrolled and prospective students may file a formal complaint, please visit the New York State Office of College and University Evaluation.
Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
The Ailey School Guidelines for Compliance with FERPA.
What is FERPA?
Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (Buckley Amendment) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. These are records that are directly related to the student and maintained by an educational agency or institution.
FERPA gives parents and an eligible student (students 18 or older) certain rights to the student’s education records that is maintained by the agency or institution.
Note: The rights will automatically transfer to the student when student’s age reaches the age of eighteen (eligible student).
The Ailey School must allow upon request:
I: The right to Access Education Records:
Parent or the eligible student enrolled at The Ailey School has the right to inspect and review their education records that are maintained by The Ailey School within 45 days from the day of the request.
II: The right to Amend Education Records:
Parent or the eligible student enrolled at The Ailey School, has the right to seek to amend or correct their education records that they believe to be inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of their rights of privacy under FERPA.
The Ailey School must allow the parent or the eligible student to appeal if The Ailey School decides not to amend the student records. The parent or the eligible student may request to add written comment regarding the content of the record.
See what records are exempted from FERPA.
III: The right to consent to Disclosures of Education Records:
Schools are prohibited from disclosing personally identifiable information (PII) from a student’s education records that is maintained by the school unless the school received a written consent from the parent or the eligible student.
Personally Identifiable Information (PII) for Education Records such as student’s name, student’s identification number, student’s date of birth, race, gender or other information which can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity either directly or indirectly.
There are exceptions under FERPA in which personally identifiable information (PII) from a student’s education records may be disclosed without the prior written consent. As such, The Ailey School will determine from its own policy whether personally identifiable information (PII) from education records will be disclosed to a third party without the prior written consent.
The Ailey School may or may not disclose personally identifiable information (PII) to School Officials at The Ailey School unless the requesting School Official has provided a legitimate educational interest. Determination will be made under The Ailey School’s own criteria of school officials and what The Ailey School considers a legitimate educational interest.
A school official is a person employed by The Ailey School in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff), a person or company with whom The Ailey School has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor or collection agent), a person serving on the Board of Trustees or a student serving on an official committee or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official
has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. Upon request, The Ailey School discloses education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
The Ailey School must inform the parent or the eligible student of what information from the student’s education records will be disclosed to a third party prior to the disclosure.
IV: Directory of Information:
The Ailey School does not publish personally identifiable information from the student’s education records.
V: FERPA Protection for Student Health Records
Health-related records that is maintained by the school will be disclosed to parent or third parties only on special circumstances and for the purpose of ensuring the safety of the student and other individuals without prior written consent from a parent or the eligible student. See brief article on Know Your Rights-FERPA Protections for Student Health Records.
VI: Annual Notification
The Ailey School is required to annually inform the enrolled eligible students of their rights under FERPA and the school’s guidelines by:
The School Website Consumer Information page.
Notifying enrolled eligible students electronically.
Student Handbook
VII: The right to file a complaint with U.S. Department of Education
Enrolled eligible students has the right to file a complaint if they believe that their FERPA rights has been violated with the Student Privacy Policy Office (SPPO).
Enrolled eligible students must submit the FERPA Complaint Form.
VIII: Additional Information
For more information about student privacy, please visit Student Privacy.
Or write to SPPO at:
Student Privacy Policy Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20202-8520
Other FERPA Resources:
i. Parent Guide to Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
ii. An Eligible Student Guide to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
iii. Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) General Guidance.
iv. Regulations:
* Family Educational Rights and Privacy
* Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment
v. Glossary: Understanding the terms most commonly used in Student Privacy.
Helpful FERPA Training Videos:
a) Student Privacy
b) Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment
c) What Parents Need to Know about their Student’s Data
d) FERPA’s Complaint Process