The Higher Education Opportunity Act (Public Law 110-315) was enacted on August 14, 2008 and updated October 28 & 29, 2009, and reauthorizes the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended . The Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) of 2008 contains numerous federal reporting and disclosure requirements for information from various administrative areas of higher education institutions.
The College does not charge tuition and does not receive funding through any Department of Education grant or loan programs. Students at the College do not receive financial assistance through Department of Education grant or loan programs.
Textbooks are provided on loan to students through the library and are to be returned at the end of each quarter.
The College receives all of its funding through the federal government budget process, under the General Defense Intelligence Program (GDIP) element of the National Intelligence Program, which is approved by the Director of National Intelligence, and eventually by the administration and the Congress.
The College does not charge tuition and does not receive funding through any Department of Education grant or loan program. Students at the College do not receive financial assistance through Department of Education grant or loan programs.
In accordance with 34 CFR 602.16(a)(1)(x) and the Federal Student Aid Handbook 2012-2-13 , the National Intelligence College is not required to submit reports on Cohort Default Rates to the U.S. Department of Education. NIC financial data to date has not been loaded to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).
Assignment of Academic Credit Hours was signed by the NIC President on November 16, 2022.
Through course Curriculum Working Groups and Quality Circles, faculty regularly review course content and workload to ensure they meet expectations for credit hours and various aspects of quality. Degree requirements and the credit load for specific courses are documented in the NIC Academic Catalog 2025–2026 and NIC Student Handbook, provided in student orientation.
The College operates on the quarter system. Credits are awarded based upon the quarter hour. The standard graduate, undergraduate, or certificate courses at NIC carries a 3-credit weight based on:
The Master of Science of Strategic Intelligence and the Master of Science and Technology Intelligence programs require students to earn 45 quarter credit hours.
The Deans and Degree Program Directors conduct periodic reviews of credit hour assignment for those classes in their respective programs to ensure consistent application of this credit hour policy. The Directors also ensure for each course that content and workload meet expectations for the number of credit hours assigned.
Transfer credit guidance is available in the Academic Catalog. Please reference page 16 for undergraduate and page 18 for graduate transfer credit information.
Prospective students are strongly encouraged to have their academic records reviewed by the College Admissions Office to determine whether they meet the academic prerequisites. To request an evaluation, applicants should forward all of their transcripts with a cover note that includes the request and applicable contact information.
Legible copies are acceptable for credit evaluation; official copies are preferred. The Admissions staff will evaluate the applicant’s credentials and provide feedback, as well as make recommendations on how to meet any remaining semester hour requirements.
The College does not have any articulation agreements established with other institutions.
National Intelligence College is an accredited institution and a member of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE or the Commission) . National Intelligence College’s accreditation status is accreditation reaffirmed. The Commission’s most recent action on the institution’s accreditation status on June 27, 2019, was to reaffirm.
MSCHE is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education to conduct accreditation and pre-accreditation candidate status activities for institutions of higher education, including distance, correspondence education, and direct assessment programs offered at those institutions. The Commission’s geographic area of accrediting activities is throughout the United States.
As federal employees and members of the Intelligence Community (IC), all NIC students, faculty, and staff are required to uphold the highest ethical standards in their personal and professional conduct. This Academic Integrity Policy identifies the requirements for academic integrity and ethical conduct.
All students are subject to Department of Defense rules and regulations governing use of information technology and eligibility for security clearance. Identity verification at NIC is handled internally by the U.S. Government as part of the security clearance process. The College does not assess any charges or fees to students for the identity verification.
All students attending class or taking an examination at the main NIC campus, Academic Center, or other instructional site must present government-issued photo identification approved for entry to the campus or Academic Center.
Each student admitted to NIC receives a secure login and password to access all campus systems including three networks:
Non-classified Internet Protocol Router Network reserved for unclassified information, such as regular Internet websites and firewalled but unclassified military websites.
Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System, secure intranet system utilized by the United States Department of Defense to house “Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information.”
Blackboard is a highly customizable online learning application that allows users to take or host online courses.
For examinations, College instructors or academic center directors may validate the identity of the student taking the exam—in person or remotely through secure audiovisual technologies.
NIC supports Federal statutes and DoD regulations that require reasonable accommodation of qualified individuals with disabilities. Students with disabilities should contact the NIC Office of Student Affairs with their concerns.
NIC is committed to:
NIC Student Achievement Information
It is the policy of NIC to comply with the requirements of the Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), also known as the Buckley Amendment, concerning the disclosure of student records. FERPA affords eligible students certain rights with respect to their education records.
NIC students have the right to inspect and review their education records within 45 days after the day the College receives a request for access. A student should submit to the Registrar a written request that identifies the record(s) the student wishes to inspect. The Registrar’s office makes arrangements for access and notifies the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. Students who are not located in the national capital region may request records be faxed or emailed, although electronically transmitted records may be redacted to comply with personally identifiable information (PII) policies.
NIC students have the right to request the amendment of education records that they believe to be inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of student privacy rights.
NIC follows the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5 U.S.C. 552a), ODNI policies, and NIC policies for protecting student records. NIC collects, stores, and processes personally identifiable information (PII) about students, to include academic records, in its System of Records, NIC Program Records.
Under ODNI and NIC policies, NIC students generally have the right to request written consent before the College discloses PII from the student’s education records. However, federal law and ODNI/NIC policies permit the disclosure of such records in certain circumstances.
For example, generally, NIC may disclose education records without a student’s prior written consent to College officials with legitimate educational interests. A College official is a person employed by NIC in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position, including law enforcement or unit personnel; a person serving on the Board of Visitors; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee.
A College official also may include a volunteer or contractor outside of NIC, who performs an institutional service or function for which the school would otherwise use its own employees and who is under the direct control of the College with respect to the use and maintenance of PII from education records, such as an attorney or auditor. A College official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record to fulfill their professional responsibilities for NIC.
Additionally, NIC may disclose student information for other reasons permitted by law as described in ODNI’s Privacy Act policy, see 32 C.F.R. Part 1701.
Student Academic Grievance and Complaint Policy: This policy applies to current and former NIC students who meet the requirements outlined in this policy for submitting an academic grievance related to a matter that falls within NIC’s jurisdiction:
Students shall make every effort to resolve disputes informally before initiating a formal complaint. To the extent possible, grievances shall be resolved at the lowest appropriate level.
A formal complaint is a request for assistance with a problem, conflict, concern, or issue that negatively impacts students that could not be addressed by informal resolution with the instructor, staff, or administrator. Formal complaints must be filed using the NIC online formal complaint form. Formal complaints will be forwarded to the Provost’s Office.
Documentation of the formal complaint should include:
Once NIC reads the incident, you will be contacted for further information.
Students whose complaints have not been resolved at the institutional level who have followed all grievance procedures and protocols defined by this policy may file an appeal to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education .
This memorandum applies to all Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) permanent cadre, staff reserve, Highly Qualified Experts, Presidential appointees, federal civilian detailees, military detailees, Intergovernmental Personnel Act detailees, and former ODNI cadre within time limitations. Individuals will make every effort to resolve work-related disputes informally before initiating a formal complaint. To the extent possible, grievances shall be resolved at the lowest appropriate level.
Staff and Faculty whose complaints have not been resolved at the ODNI level who have followed all grievance procedures and protocols defined by this policy may file an appeal to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education .