Responses Last Confirmed:

New Jersey Center for Occupational Employment Information

Agency Contact

Patricia Davis, Chief
--
trainingevaluationunit@dol.nj.gov

Additional Contact

Secretary of State Contact

Tahesha Way, Esq.
609-777-2581
feedback@sos.nj.gov
Topic

1: Important Agency Information to Note

a.
Provide important web links:

No response provided

b.
What types of institutions are subject to this agency’s authority?

Indicate the types of institutions that your agency authorizes. 

  • Note: Some agencies may refer to out-of-state public institutions as “private colleges” in their law.  If this is the case for your agency, please select “public, out-of-state degree granting institutions” for purposes of this Guide so that the out-of-state public institution will find appropriate information.
  • Note: If your agency is a coordinating board, your agency may have one division with some authority such as program approval over in-state public institutions that are established per statute, which is structured differently than another division of your agency with state authorization authority over non-public institutions that they “license” pursuant to different statute(s).

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

c.
Does your agency authorize specific academic programs offered by institutions, only institutions themselves, or both?
  • For example, an agency may require an institution apply for licensure for institutional approval and also require the institution to apply for specific program(s) approval.

_____ Institution 

_____ Program 

__X__ Both

d.
Clarifying comments:

Private for-profit and nonprofit institutions offering a course of instruction or instructional program utilized to prepare individuals for future education or the workplace may not operate without a Certificate of Approval from the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development and the New Jersey Department of Education (N.J. Stat. Ann. § 34:15C-10.1; N.J. Admin. Code §§ 6A: 19-7.3, 12:41-1.1).

The Center for Occupational Employment Information does not authorize public, out-of-state, non-degree granting institutions, but will review and approve Eligible Training Provider List applications from public, out-of-state, non-degree granting institutions after first verifying that they are on their home states’ Eligible Training Provider List.

Topic

2: Authorization of Distance Education

a.
Does your agency require exclusively online offerings offered by out-of-state institutions to be authorized?
  • Meaning as example, the state regulates an out-of-state institution for merely enrolling a student into a distance education program
  • Meaning as example, a solely online program that does not have any internships and practicums

Yes, they must provide a governmental agency approval or approval on the home state’s Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL).

b.
Clarifying comments:

Any institution with a physical presence must be authorized by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development and the New Jersey Department of Education.

Topic

3: Accreditation by an Accrediting Agency Recognized by the U.S. Department of Education

a.
Is accreditation by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education required for an institution to be authorized in your state?

Accreditation is not currently required for non-degree granting institutions to be authorized in the state (N.J. Admin. Code § 12:41-2.2).

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

No response provided

Accreditation by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education 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: Physical Presence Policy

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

Any private career or correspondence school that wishes to operate in New Jersey’s workforce readiness system.

b.
Web link for physical presence definition.
c.
Does a clinical/internship trigger the requirement for authorization with your agency?

Does a virtual clinical / internship trigger the requirement for authorization with your agency? 

No response provided

d.
Does a faculty member residing in your state and teaching an online course trigger the requirement for authorization with your agency?

No response provided

e.
Does advertising targeted to residents of your state trigger the requirement for authorization with your agency?

No response provided

f.
Does having an administrative site in your state trigger the requirement for authorization with your agency?

No response provided

g.
Does having a recruiter in your state trigger the requirement for authorization with your agency?

No response provided

h.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

5: Application Process

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

After reading Title 12 of the New Jersey Administrative Code, institutions must complete and provide all required application documents.

c.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

6: 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?

The initial application fee is $1,150, and the renewal application fee is $900. Renewal application fees are paid bi-annually.

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

No response provided

Topic

7: Surety Bonds

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

A tuition performance bond must be submitted with the original application in the amount of $20,000 or five percent of average gross tuition income for the past three years, whichever is greater (N.J. Admin. Code § 12:41-2.2).

c.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

8: Student Tuition Recovery Fund

a.
Does your agency have a Student Tuition Recovery Fund (or similar fund for higher education institution closure)?

No, but there is proposed bill in the New Jersey legislature to establish a Private Career School Student Tuition Protection Fund, which would provide for a system of equitable refunds in the event of the closure of a private career school.

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

9: Tuition Refund Policy

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

Yes.

b.
If yes, for what types of institutions?

Private career schools.

d.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

10: Reporting

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

Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL) renewal application and proof of government agency approval.

b.
How frequently do institutions report data?

Quarterly.

c.
Is this information shared publicly?

Yes.

d.
Web link for reporting.
e.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

11: Enforcement

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

A Certificate of Approval may be suspended, revoked, or made conditional, if it is determined that the approved private career school has violated any of the provisions of N.J.S.A. 34:15C-10.1, N.J.A.C. 12:41, or N.J.A.C. 6A:19-7, or is found to be financially unsound (N.J. Admin. Code § 12:41-5.1). Further action may be taken by the Division of Consumer Affairs under the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act (N.J.S.A. 56:8-1 et al.)

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

No response provided

Topic

12: Student Complaints - Non-SARA Participating Institutions

a.
Please describe the process for handling complaints about non-SARA out-of-state postsecondary institutions or programs? (34 CFR 600.9(a))

The Center for Occupational Employment Information does not handle complaints about out-of-state postsecondary institutions or programs. If received, they are referred to the home state’s statutes, rules, and regulations.

c.
How does your agency handle a non-SARA complaint from a resident of its state that is against an out-of-state institution that the agency does not authorize?

No response provided

d.
Is the non-SARA 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.)?

The process is handled within the Center for Occupational Employment Information’s Training Evaluation Unit, but referrals are made to the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s Office of Internal Audit, Legal and Regulatory Affairs, the Division of Consumer Affairs, the Division of Criminal Justice, and the Office of the Attorney General as needed based on the nature of the student complaint and available documentation.

e.
Who is the contact person or entity for your state for receiving non-SARA student complaints?

Contact: Stephanie Zacniewski

Title: Administrative Analyst 3

Agency: Center for Occupational Employment Information

Address: P.O. Box 057, Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0057

Email: trainingevaluationunit@dol.nj.gov

Phone: N/A

URL: https://www.nj.gov/labor/lwdhome/coei/teu.html

f.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

13: Records Retention

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

At least 60 calendar days prior to closure of the school, or the cessation of instructional activity at the school, the school owner shall submit to the Training Evaluation Unit a completed Private Career School Close-Out Form, made available by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, as well as electronic copies of each enrolled student’s transcript (N.J. Admin. Code § 12:41-4.7).

b.
From what agency or entity do students request their transcripts/records from a closed higher education institution?
c.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

14: Additional Information

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

No response provided

b.
What is your preferred method of communication?

No response provided

 

Please note: There could be additional state agencies with oversight of activities of your institution.