Responses Last Confirmed:

Colorado Division of Private Occupational Schools

Agency Contact

Lorna Candler
303-862-3016
lorna.candler@dhe.state.co.us

Additional Contact

Mary Kanaly
303-974-2670

Secretary of State Contact

Jena Griswold
303-894-2200
secretary@sos.state.co.us
Topic

1: Important Agency Information to Note

a.
Provide any important information about your agency.

No response provided

Topic

2: Types of Educational Providers Authorized

a.
Indicate the types of institutions that your agency authorizes. Please provide a short explanation of any ambiguity in the comment section below.

_____    Public, in-state degree granting institutions
_____    Public, out-of-state degree granting institutions        
__X__   Private, in-state, not-for-profit degree granting institutions 
__X__   Private, out-of-state, not-for-profit degree granting institutions    
__X__   Private, in-state, for-profit degree granting institutions
__X__   Private, out-of-state, for-profit degree granting institutions
_____   Public, in-state, non-degree granting institutions
_____   Public, out-of-state, non-degree granting institutions
__X__   Non-degree, not-for profit institutions
__X__   Non-degree, for-profit institutions
_____   Religious institutions
_____   Tribally-controlled institutions
_____   Federal Institutions
_____   Municipal institutions

b.
Does your agency authorize specific academic programs offered by institutions, only institutions themselves, or both?

____ Institution   _____ Program   __X___ Both

c.
Clarifying comments:

“Private Occupational School” or “school” defined as any entity or institution for profit or not for profit located within or without this state that offers educational credentials or educational services that constitute occupational education in this state and that is not specifically exempt from the provisions of this article 64.

“Degree” applies to Associate degree.

A program can only be approved by the Board for approved institutions

Topic

3: Accreditation

a.
Is accreditation required for an institution to be authorized in your state?

No

b.
If yes, please check all that apply as appropriate.

No response provided

Accreditation Required for:
____ Public, out-of-state degree granting institutions
____ Private, in-state, not-for-profit degree granting institutions
____ Private, out-of-state, not-for-profit degree granting institutions
____ Private, in-state, for-profit degree granting institutions
____ Private, out-of-state, for-profit degree granting institutions
____ Public, in-state, non-degree granting institutions
____ Public, out-of-state, non-degree granting institutions
____ Non-degree, not-for profit institutions
____ Non-degree, for-profit institutions
____ Religious institutions
____ Tribally-controlled institutions
____ Federal Institutions
____ Municipal institutions

c.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

4: Exemptions

a.
Are certain institutions or programs exempt by law or policy from your state authorization requirements?

Yes

b.
If yes, for what types of institutions? Which types of programs?

Please see the exemption list found at 23-64-104 in the Colorado Revised Statute

d.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

5: Authorization of Distance Education

a.
Does your agency require purely online programs offered by out-of-state institutions to be authorized without regard to physical presence?

Only for out-of-state institutions offering purely online programs AND actively soliciting, recruiting, and/or enrolling Colorado residents as students.

b.
If not, does your agency determine whether an institution must be authorized based on a physical presence (“operating”) standard?

N/A

c.
Does your agency require correspondence study programs to be authorized without regard to physical presence?

Yes

d.
Clarifying comments:

For out-of-state institutions offering purely online programs AND actively soliciting, recruiting, and/or enrolling Colorado residents as students.

Topic

6: Physical Presence Policy

a.
If your agency uses a physical presence standard, how does your agency define physical presence?

Yes, the definition can be found at BB in the definitions section of the Rules and Regulations:

"Physical presence" means a school that delivers educational services within Colorado, including any combination of factors lending to the determination that the institution maintains a physical presence within the state, including, but not limited to, the presence of a physical facility or equipment, whether owned, leased, rented, or provided without charge; the physical location of student records; or the presence of a resident director or similar administrator.

b.
Web link for physical presence definition.
c.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

7: Student Complaints - SARA Participating Institutions

a.
Please describe the process for handling complaints about SARA participating Institutions.

No response provided

b.
Is the process handled all within your agency or do you divide consumer protection and student complaint duties dependent on the type of institution (Public, Private, Technical, etc.)?

No response provided

c.
Web link for student complaints – SARA participating institutions.

No response provided

d.
Who is the contact person at your agency for receiving complaints?
  • Contact Name: Heather DeLange
  • Title: Director, Office of Private Postsecondary Education
  • Agency: Colorado Department of Higher Education
  • Address: 1600 Broadway, Suite 2200 Denver, CO 80202
  • Email: heather.delange@dhe.state.co.us
  • Phone: 303-862-3001
e.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

8: Student Complaints - Non-SARA Participating Institutions

a.
Please describe the process for handling complaints about out-of-state postsecondary institutions or programs?

Complaints pertaining to deceptive sales/trade only for out-of-state institutions, to be filed online.

b.
Is the process handled all within your agency or do you divide consumer protection and student complaint duties dependent on the type of institution (Public, Private, Technical, etc.)?

DPOS/the Board handles the entirety of the complaint process, investigation and determination.

c.
Does this complaint process extend to institutions not authorized by the agency that may enroll residents of the state (such as explicitly distance education programs with no physical presence or exempt institutions)?

No, however, there is a separate unauthorized school process where the public can report operating unauthorized schools.
https://highered.colorado.gov/school-resources/dpos-connect-resources

d.
Who is the contact person at your agency for receiving complaints?
e.
Web link for the complaint form.
f.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

9: Surety Bonds

a.
Does your state require a Surety Bond for authorized out-of-state institutions?

Yes

b.
Web link for surety bonds.

No response provided

c.
Clarifying comments:

$50,000 bond is required for all out-of-state institutions.

Topic

10: Tuition Refund Policy

a.
Does your state have a Tuition Refund Policy Requirement?

Yes, all.

b.
If yes, for what types of institutions?

All

c.
Web link for tuition refund policy.

No response provided

d.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

11: Student Tuition Recovery Fund

a.
Does your state have a Student Tuition Recovery Fund (or similar fund for school closure)?

No

b.
If yes, for what types of institutions?

No response provided

c.
Web link for student tuition recovery fund.

No response provided

d.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

12: Reporting

a.
What kinds of information or data must an institution report to your agency as a condition for continued out-of-state authorization?

Quarterly assessments – currently must submit number of students enrolled every quarter plus a $5.00 fee per student.

b.
How frequently do institutions report data?

Quarterly

c.
Is this information published or shared publicly?

No

e.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

13: Enforcement

a.
What are possible consequences of institutional non-compliance?

Possible consequences can be revocation of the certificate of approval, summary suspension, cease and desist, subpoena, notice of noncompliance, notice of nonrenewal. All duties and powers of the board can be found in the Statute.

b.
Web link for enforcement information.
c.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

14: Application Process

a.
Please provide a short description of the application process to obtain state authorization.

A school must submit a complete and accurate application. The Program Coordinator reviews the application, the Deputy Director reviews the application, then the application is given to the Board for approval. All documents pertaining to obtaining approval can be found here.

b.
Web link for application.
c.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

15: Fees Associated with Authorization

a.
Is there an application fee associated with the authorization process?

Yes

b.
If yes, what is the fee or fee schedule?

$5,000 for a New In-State School Application

$2,500 for a New Out-of-State Application

$300 per in-state and out-of-state agent permit

c.
Web link for fee information.
d.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

16: Records Retention

a.
When a school closes, what is the process your state uses to ensure that transcripts/records are kept available?

The closure and transcript deposit process and requirements can be found here.

b.
From what agency do students request their transcripts/records from a closed school?
c.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

17: Additional Information

a.
Is there anything else about the authorization process in your state that we and others ought to know about?

No response provided