Gnomon School of Visual Effects

Course Delivery

• Courses are either 10-weeks, 5-weeks or 1-week in length
• Most courses consist of three hours of in-class lecture and demonstration and nine hours of guaranteed Studio Lab time per week
• Online courses may be an option for some courses
• Class assignments are project-based and revolve around the student's personal direction and creation.

International Students

• Gnomon is not able to issue I-20's for students enrolled in individual courses.
• International students interested in taking courses should check with their embassy to inquire about the length of a visitor's visa. A visitor's visa may allow enough time to complete a term or two at Gnomon.

View our courses section for specific class tuitions.

Payment/Gnomon Accepts

• Checks: company / personal (a $25 processing fee will be charge for any returned unpaid check)
• Visa, MasterCard
• Money Orders
• Corporate Purchase Orders
• Gnomon Payment Plans
• Wire Transfers

Gnomon Payment Plans

• Tuition is broken up into three installments with a 3% service charge applied.
• The first installment is due at the time of signing the Payment Plan.
• Remaining installments are due over the course of the term.
• Students paying via a Gnomon Payment Plan are obligated to fulfill the agreement if they fail to properly drop a class.
• Payments made more than five (5) business days after a scheduled due date are subject to a 2% late fee.
• Payments seven (7) or more business days late are subject to the student’s computer account being frozen until payment is rectified.
• A $25 processing fee will be charged for any returned unpaid check and in addition, is also subject to a 2% late fee.

Student Loans

• Gnomon offers "Career Training" loans through SLM Financial, a SallieMae Company.
• Students interested in enrolling at Gnomon may apply for low-interest financing through SLM to pay their tuition.
• Students interested in a SallieMae loan may contact the Financial Aid office for more details finaid@gnomonschool.com
• Prior to submitting a loan application, students must speak with Gnomon’s Admissions Counselor as well as our Financial Aid representative.
• Students must be a U.S. citizen, a US national, or a permanent resident and must be creditworthy.
• The deadline to apply for a SallieMae Loan is 7 business days prior to the start of the term.

Withdrawal/Refund Policy

Please email your drop/refund requests to register@gnomonschool.com. Tuition refunds are based on the date your written drop request is received via email. Refunds will not be honored without a written request.

Refer to the Academic Calendar or your Student Confirmation Letter for your refund schedule.

Refunds will be made within 45 days of the date of cancellation. Requests will be processed during regular business hours: Monday thru Friday 9:00 am – 6:00 pm.

• Admission is based on space availability and experience
• Class advisement is available through the Admissions department
• Tours are available weekdays
• Please contact our Admissions office to make an appointment for a campus tour or class advisement

Download the Student Catalog for detailed policies.

Accredidation

The Council of Occupational Education (COE), a national accrediting agency committed to assuring quality and integrity in career and workforce development, accredits Gnomon. COE is located at 41 Perimeter Center East, NE, Suite 640, Atlanta, GA 30346. Telephone (local): 770-396-3898, (toll free): 800-917-2081, FAX: 770-396-3790.

Withdrawal/Refund Policy

Please email your drop/refund requests to register@gnomonschool.com. Tuition refunds are based on the date your written drop request is received via email. Refunds will not be honored without a written request.

Refer to the Academic Calendar or your Student Confirmation Letter for your refund schedule.

Refunds will be made within 45 days of the date of cancellation. Requests will be processed during regular business hours: Monday thru Friday 9:00 am – 6:00 pm.

Transcript/Letter Requests

Official transcripts/verification letters will be provided by written request and are subject to payment of the prescribed fee, if there is no outstanding financial obligation due. Transcript requests/verification letters forms may be obtained from the administrative office or can be requested via email with required information to accounting@gnomonschool.com. Please allow 72 hours for processing.

Student Tuition Recovery Fund (STRF)

The state of California created the Student Tuition Recovery Fund (STRF) to relieve or mitigate economic losses suffered by California residents who were students attending schools approved by, or registered to offer Short-term Career Training with the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education (Bureau). You may be eligible for STRF if you are a California resident, prepaid tuition, paid the STRF fee, and suffered an economic loss as a result of any of the following:

• The school closed before the course of instruction was completed.
• The school's failure to pay refunds or charges on behalf of a student to a third party for license fees or any other purpose, or to provide equipment or materials for which a charge was collected within 180 days before the closure of the school.
• The school's failure to pay or reimburse loan proceeds under a federally guaranteed student loan program as required by law or to pay or reimburse proceeds received by the school prior to closure in excess of tuition and other costs.
• The school's breach or anticipatory breach of the agreement for the course of instruction.
• There was a decline in the quality of the course of instruction within 30 days before the school closed, or if the decline began earlier than 30 days prior to closure, a time period of decline determined by the Bureau.
• The school committed fraud during the recruitment or enrollment or program participation of the student. You may also be eligible for STRF if you were a student that was unable to collect a court judgment rendered against the school for violation of the Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education Reform Act of 1989.

You must pay the state-imposed fee for the Student Tuition Recovery Fund (STRF) if all of the following applies to you:

• You are a student, who is a California resident and prepays all or part of your tuition either by cash, guaranteed student loans, or personal loans.
• Any third-party payer such as an employer, government program or other payer, does not pay your total charges unless you have a separate agreement to repay the third party.

You are not eligible for protection from the STRF and you are not required to pay the STRF fee if either of the following applies:

• You are not a California resident.
• A third party, such as an employer, pays your total charges government. It is important that you keep copies of the enrollment agreement, loan paper(s), receipts or any other information that documents monies paid to the school. Questions regarding the STRF may be directed to the Department of Consumer Affairs, Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education, 400 R Street, Suite 5000, Sacramento, CA 95814-6200, (916) 445-3427.

*NOTE: STRF fee calculations. STRF fees are $2.50 per thousand rounded up to the nearest thousand dollars.

Complaints

To ensure the quality of education at Gnomon, students are encouraged to verbally communicate their concerns to members of the faculty and administration for amicable solutions.

Should you feel your concern/problem has not been adequately addressed; you may file an official written grievance. This grievance should be addressed to the school director or grievance@gnomonschool.com and must be received in the Administrative Office within 48 hours after the incident occurs. The director will verify that the student has made a verbal attempt to resolve the concerns with the instructor or other staff member. If the student has followed the above steps, the director will call a grievance committee hearing within 24 hours of receipt of the report. Such committee will include the director, instructor, and/or appropriate staff member. The hearing may be scheduled on-line or via teleconference to accommodate those involved. In addition, all persons involved with the incident must be present at the scheduled time of the hearing. The committee will immediately meet in the absence of those involved to review the evidence and vote on a decision. The decision of the committee will be communicated immediately.

If the decision is unacceptable to the student, the student may appeal the decision with the Bureau. To do so they must submit the appeal, within 24 hours of the hearing, to the Bureau with copies of all documents including a cover letter explaining why the decision is unacceptable. Unresolved complaints may be directed to: Bureau For Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education, 1625 North Market Blvd., Suite S 202, Sacramento, CA 95834,. Unresolved complaints may also be directed to COE, 41 Perimeter Center East, NE, Suite 640, Atlanta, GA 30346. Telephone (Local): 770-396-3898 (Toll-Free): 800-917-2081 (Fax): 770-396-3790.

The Family Educational Rights And Privacy Act (FERPA)

Is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools the receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education. FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children's education records. These rights transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level. Students to whom the rights have transferred are "eligible students." Parents or eligible students have the right to inspect and review the student's education records maintained by the school. Schools are not required to provide copies of records unless, for reasons such as great distance, it is impossible for parents or eligible students to review the records. Schools may charge a fee for copies. Parents or eligible students have the right to request that a school correct records in which they believe to be inaccurate or misleading. If the school decides not to amend the record, the parent or eligible student then has the right to a formal hearing. After the hearing, if the school still decides not to amend the record, the parent or eligible student has the right to place a statement with the record setting forth his or her view about the contested information. Generally, schools must have written permission from the parent or eligible student in order to release any information from a student's education record. However, FERPA allows schools to disclose those records, without consent, to the following parties or under the following conditions (34 CFR § 99.31):

• School officials with legitimate educational interest
• Other schools to which a student is transferring
• Specified officials for audit or evaluation purposes
• Appropriate parties in connection with financial aid to a student
• Organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of the school
• Accrediting organizations
• To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena
• Appropriate officials in cases of health and safety emergencies
• State and local authorities, within a juvenile justice system, pursuant to specific State law

Schools may disclose, without consent, "directory" information such as a student's name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, honors and awards, and directory information and allow parents and eligible students a reasonable amount of time to request that the school not disclose directory information about them. Schools must notify parents and eligible students annually of their rights under FERPA. The actual means of notification (special letter, inclusion in a PTA bulletin, student handbook, or newspaper article) is left to the direction of each school. For additional information or technical assistance, you may call 202-260-3887 (voice). Individuals who use TDD may call the Federal Information Relay Service at 800-877-8339. Or you may contact us at the following address: Family Policy Compliance Office U.S. Department of Education 400 Maryland Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20202-5920

Reservation of Rights

Gnomon reserves the right to change tuition fees, scheduled dates of courses, class offerings, instructors, policies and procedures, at its sole discretion without limitation of any kind. Gnomon also reserves the right to deny enrollment in courses to any student, and the right to withdraw any student whose conduct fails to comply with the policies, rules and standards of Gnomon.