173.604. Minimum standards for certification of proprietary school--out-of-state applicants.

MISSOURI STATUTES AND CODES

173.604. Minimum standards for certification of proprietary school--out-of-state applicants.

Minimum standards for certification of proprietaryschool--out-of-state applicants.

173.604. 1. The board shall issue certificates of approvalto proprietary schools that meet the minimum standardsestablished pursuant to the provisions of sections 173.600 to173.618.

2. Minimum standards for proprietary schools shall beestablished in the rules and regulations and shall require that:

(1) Educational and experience qualifications of directors,administrators, and instructors are adequate for students toreceive training consistent with the published objectives of thecourse or program of study;

(2) The course, curriculum and instruction are of adequatelevel, content, and duration to achieve the published objectivesfor which they are offered;

(3) The school has adequate facilities and equipment totrain, instruct or educate the number of students enrolled orproposed to be enrolled;

(4) The school has a sound financial structure withsufficient resources for its continued operation;

(5) The following shall be available in writing to eachstudent: course outline, course objective, schedule of tuition,fees and other charges, cancellation and refund policy,appropriate financial aid information, regulations pertaining toabsence, student evaluation, and student conduct;

(6) The school shall have a fair and equitable refundpolicy for the refund of the unused portion of tuition, fees, andother charges in the event that a student enrolled in the schoolfails to begin a course, withdraws, or is discontinued therefromat any time prior to completion;

(7) Satisfactory standards relating to attendance,progress, and conduct are established and enforced by the school;

(8) Upon satisfactory completion of training, the studentis given a certificate, diploma, or degree by the schoolindicating completion of the course or courses;

(9) No earned certificate or degree may be given, awarded,or granted solely on the basis of payment of tuition or fee,credit earned at another school or schools, on the basis ofcredit for life experience or other equivalency, on the basis oftesting out, on the basis of research and writing, or solely onthe basis of any combination of these factors. No honorarydegree may be given, awarded, or granted by any school which doesnot give, award, or grant an earned degree and no fee or othercharge may be assessed for giving, awarding, or granting anhonorary degree;

(10) No school, whether certified or exempted, mayadvertise as having a Missouri presence or use a Missouri addresson its letterhead in the absence of that school conducting anactual instructional activity in this state;

(11) The school or its agents do not utilize advertising ofany type which is untrue, deceptive, or misleading. The name ofthe school shall appear in all media advertising;

(12) The school or its agents do not sell or offer to sellmaterial or service by written, visual, or oralmisrepresentation;

(13) Adequate financial and academic records aremaintained;

(14) The school is maintained and operated in compliancewith all pertinent ordinances and laws relative to the safety andhealth of all persons on the premises;

(15) Governmental student financial aid, including bothgrants and loans, awarded through or by the school shall beadministered in compliance with all applicable law andregulations;

(16) Provisions are made by the school to file studenttranscripts and all other student records as specified in therules and regulations with a repository approved by the boardshould the school terminate its operations. Failure to complywith this subdivision in the event of a school terminatingoperations shall result in forfeiture of the security deposit asrequired by section 173.612.

3. The board shall accept accreditation by national orregional accrediting agencies recognized by the United StatesDepartment of Education as evidence of partial or completecompliance with standards established by the board pursuant tothis section. Such acceptance shall be on a school-by-schoolbasis.

4. The board may dispense with investigation of anout-of-state applicant and may grant a certificate of approvalupon payment of the required fees, provided that in the board'sjudgment, requirements for approval in the state, territory, orDistrict of Columbia are substantially equal to those in force inMissouri at the time application for approval is filed and upondue proof that such applicant has continually operated aproprietary school for two years, and holds a current license inthe other state.