Post Secondary institutions meaning

A person operating an institution that is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education has the option to obtain an approval to operate from the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (Bureau) by means of the institution's accreditation.

To obtain an approval to operate by means of accreditation, the person must submit an Application for Approval to Operate an Accredited Institution. The approval "by means of accreditation" process is somewhat abbreviated from the standard approval to operate process. This application process should only be used, however, when the applicant is seeking Bureau approval for exactly and only the institutional locations, educational program offerings and approval dates for which the institution has been accredited. The institution's main, branch and satellite locations must be accredited to offer the same programs at each location, have the same term of accreditation, and have the same ownership structure.

A person operating an accredited institution seeking Bureau approval to offer programs that are not accredited, or to operate a location that is not accredited, may not utilize the approval to operate by means of accreditation process. Such an institution must apply for Bureau approval to operate utilizing the Application for Approval to Operate for an Institution Non-Accredited.

A person operating an accredited institution that has not previously obtained approval by means of accreditation cannot renew as an accredited institution, but may submit an Application for Approval to Operate an Accredited Institution and subsequently renew as an accredited institution.

Please refer to the California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009 (CEC) and the California Code of Regulations (CCR) for more information.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Bureau accredit institutions?

No. The Bureau approves a person to operate an institution in California. An approval to operate signifies that an institution is in compliance with state standards as set forth in the Private Postsecondary Education Act. Only accrediting agencies can accredit an institution. Accreditation is a voluntary non-governmental review process. On the other hand, state approval is mandatory for a person operating an institution subject to the California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009.