North Carolina Community College System-Office of Proprietary Schools
Agency Contact
Additional Contact
1: Important Agency Information to Note
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
____ 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
____ Non-degree, not-for profit institutions
_X__ Non-degree, for-profit institutions
____ Religious institutions
____ Tribally-controlled institutions
____ Federal Institutions
____ Municipal institutions
- 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
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2: Authorization of Distance Education
- 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
A physical presence is required.
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3: Accreditation by an Accrediting Agency Recognized by the U.S. Department of Education
No
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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
No response provided
4: Physical Presence Policy
A physical presence is required for proprietary licensing in NC. It is commonly triggered by leasing or owning a physical location in North Carolina, specifically targeting ads to North Carolina citizens through local media or billboards (local advertising does not include general or national advertising), maintaining teaching or other faculty in North Carolina, or actively maintaining locations in North Carolina to recruit and enroll North Carolina residents. Without a physical presence, the institution would not be required to obtain proprietary licensing in NC for non-degree vocational programs. I would refer you to the Distance Education statement on our website: https://www.nccommunitycolleges.edu/about-us/state-board/state-board-of-proprietary-schools/distance-education/.
Please note that our response is limited to non-degree vocational programs. The UNC System Office has exclusive authority to license degree programs in our state. If the institution offers any degree programs, it must contact that entity to determine if licensing is required.
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Does a virtual clinical / internship trigger the requirement for authorization with your agency?
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5: Application Process
Preliminary Application/Checklist for Initial Licensing/Portal Application/Proprietary Board Recommendation/NC Community College Board licensing.
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6: Fees Associated with Authorization
2A SBCCC 300.6 North Carolina Proprietary School Fee Schedule Each proprietary school subject to Article 8 of Chapter 115D shall make payment as directed by the SBPS according to the following fee schedule:
(1) Initial license - $5,000.
(2) Annual license renewal - $2,500. Any license renewal application submitted through the North Carolina Proprietary Board Licensure Portal after March 1st shall be assessed a $500 late fee.
(3) Program additions - $200.
(4) Program revisions - $200.
(5) School relocations - $500.
(6) Remote sites - $1,000 initial site fee, plus annual renewal fee of $750.
(7) Site assessments to verify statutory or SBCC Code compliance, or to approve program additions or changes - $500.
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7: Surety Bonds
A physical presence is required for licensing. Licensed proprietary schools are currently required to have a surety bond the first five years of licensing.
There is no web link. The bond must be downloaded from within our licensing portal.
No response provided
8: Student Tuition Recovery Fund
Yes
All licensed proprietary schools.
No response provided
9: Tuition Refund Policy
Yes.
All licensed proprietary schools.
The policy and regulations shall provide for, at a minimum, a full refund if a student withdraws before the first day of class or the school cancels the class and a seventy‑five percent (75%) refund if the student withdraws within the first twenty‑five percent (25%) of the period of enrollment for which the student was charged.
10: Reporting
Enrollment and graduation
annually
No
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11: Enforcement
License suspension or withdrawal.
State Board Code - NCCCS (nccommunitycolleges.edu) –see Title 2
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12: Student Complaints - Non-SARA Participating Institutions
A physical presence is required for licensing. We do not regulate out of state institutions and would refer students to that state’s regulatory agency or the NC Attorney General’s Office for NC students.
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A physical presence is required for our oversight.
13: Records Retention
School should transfer all records to the NC Archives.
NC Archives --home-page | NC Archives (ncdcr.gov)
Agency Name:
Contact Person:
Contact Phone:
Contact Address:
Contact Email:
Contact website:
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14: Additional Information
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Please note: There could be additional state agencies with oversight of activities of your institution.