Responses Last Confirmed:

Wyoming Department of Education

Agency Contact

Brenna Harris
307-777-6210
brenna.harris@wyo.gov

Additional Contact

Secretary of State Contact

Chuck Gray
307-777-7378
Business@wyo.gov
Topic

1: Important Agency Information to Note

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
__X__ 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
__X__ Public, in-state, non-degree granting institutions
__X__ Public, out-of-state, non-degree granting institutions
__X__ Non-degree, not-for profit institutions
__X__ Non-degree, for-profit institutions
__X__ 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.

__X__ Institution   

_____ Program 

_____ Both

d.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

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. 

b.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

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?

Yes

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

Accreditation by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education required for: 
__X__ 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
_____ Non-degree, not-for profit institutions
_____ Non-degree, for-profit institutions
_____ Religious institutions
_____ Tribally-controlled institutions
_____ Federal Institutions
_____ Municipal institutions

c.
Clarifying comments:

All degree granting institutions are required to be accredited by an agency recognized by the USDE.  There is a provision for institutions that are in candidate status with a recognized accreditation agency.

Topic

4: Physical Presence Policy

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

No response provided

b.
Web link for physical presence definition.

No response provided

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.

An annual application and applicable fees must be submitted on or before July 1 each year.

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 annual fee for degree granting institutions is $100.  Non-degree proprietary schools must submit a $10,000 bond as well as a $200 fee.

c.
Web link for fee information.

No response provided

d.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

7: Surety Bonds

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

Maybe

b.
Web link for surety bonds.

No response provided

c.
Clarifying comments:

A $10,000 Surety Bond is required for institutions in candidate status of accreditation as well as non-degree granting proprietary schools.

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

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?

No response provided

b.
If yes, for what types of institutions?

No response provided

c.
Web link for tuition refund policy.

No response provided

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?

The institution must submit accreditation information. Proprietary schools must submit personnel, course catalog, financial information, etc

b.
How frequently do institutions report data?

Annually.

c.
Is this information shared publicly?

Some of the information is shared publicly.

e.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

11: Enforcement

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

No response provided

b.
Web link for enforcement information.

No response provided

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))
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 complaint duties are divided based on the nature of the complaint.

e.
Who is the contact person or entity for your state for receiving non-SARA student complaints?
  • Contact Name: Elaine Marces
  • Title: Private School Licensing
  • Agency: Wyoming Department of Education
  • Address: 122 W. 25th St. Suite E200
  • Email: elaine.marces@wyo.gov
  • Phone: 307-777-6210
  • URL
f.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

13: Records Retention

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

The state works with individual closing institutions to ensure the records are available to students. 

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

No response provided

Agency Name:
Contact Person:
Contact Phone:
Contact Address:
Contact Email:
Contact website:

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.