Postsecondary Registration / Authorization
A school that wishes to offer educational instruction to students in Iowa may be required to comply with one or more requirements of Iowa law: registration under Iowa Code Chapter 261B, filing evidence of financial responsibility or a claim of exemption under Iowa Code Sections 714.18 and 714.19, the Iowa tuition refund policy under Iowa Code Section 714.23, or the student disclosure requirements of Iowa Code Section 714.25.
Below you will find information about these requirements, a list of schools that have applied to the Iowa College Student Aid Commission for registration and contact information for the Commission's postsecondary registration administrator.
NEW ADDRESS: The Iowa College Student Aid Commission office is moving to a new location, effective June 3, 2013. The new address is:
Iowa College Student Aid Commission
430 East Grand Avenue, 3rd FL
Des Moines, IA 50309
Registration of Postsecondary Educational Institutions under Iowa Code Chapter 261B
Disclosures for For-Profit Postsecondary Educational Institutions under Iowa Code Section 714.25
NEW: Effective for all schools approved for registration on and after July 1, 2012, the registration term is 2 years (previously 4 years) and the registration fee is $2000 (previously $4000). The Commission no longer collects the registration fee with the application. The Commission now collects registration fees upon registration approval. Please do not send registration fees with a registration application. There is no registration application fee at this time.
Registration of Postsecondary Educational Institutions under Iowa Code Chapter 261B
Chapter 261B of the Iowa Code requires a postsecondary educational institution (school) that offers degree programs to register / seek authorization with the Iowa College Student Aid Commission (the Commission) under certain conditions.
Conditions that Require Registration / Authorization
Registration Application Process
Additional Requirements
Postsecondary Educational Programs Offered Under a School's Registration
Educator Preparation and Nursing Programs
Faculty
Filing Evidence of Financial Responsibility Under Iowa Code Section 714.18
Under Iowa Code Section 714.18, every person, firm, association, or corporation (including postsecondary educational institutions and other instructional schools) that maintains or conducts in Iowa any course of instruction via classroom instruction, correspondence or distance education, or that solicits in Iowa the sale of such a course, must file evidence of financial responsibility with the Iowa College Student Aid Commission and reapply to demonstrate continuing compliance, at minimum, every two years.
A postsecondary education institution that qualifies for an exemption from the financial responsibility provisions of Iowa Code may nevertheless be required to register in Iowa to offer a course of instruction via classroom instruction or distance education in Iowa. The registration provisions of Iowa Code Chapter 261B and financial responsibility provisions of Iowa Code Section 714.18, 714.19, and 714.22 operate independently
Financial Responsibility Application Process Non-exempt postsecondary educational institutions or instructional schools must complete an application that the Iowa College Student Aid Commission supplies for this purpose and submit other required documentation.
Financial Responsibility Exemptions A school that would otherwise be required to file evidence of financial responsibility and believe that it qualifies for an exemption under Iowa Code Chapters 714.19 should apply to the Iowa College Student Aid Commission for acknowledgement of the claimed exemption.
Refund of Tuition Charges for For-Profit Postsecondary Educational Institutions under Iowa Code Section 714.23
Iowa Code Section 714.23 stipulates that a for-profit school with at least one postsecondary educational program of more than four months in length that leads to a recognized educational credential such as an academic or professional degree, diploma, or license must provide a fair refund of tuition charges to a withdrawn student.
A for-profit school that must register in Iowa pursuant to Iowa Code Chapter 261B will not be approved for registration until it has adopted a policy that meets the minimum requirements of Iowa Code Section 714.23. A for-profit school that offers a course of instruction via distance education in Iowa and that is not required to register in Iowa for that purpose must nevertheless implement a policy that meets the minimum requirements of Iowa Code Section 714.23.
Disclosures for For-Profit Postsecondary Educational Institutions under Iowa Code Section 714.25
A for-profit school that is not eligible to participate in the federal student aid programs and that offers at least one program of more than four months in length that leads to a postsecondary education credential such as an academic or professional postsecondary education credential such as a degree, diploma or license must make certain disclosures to the student, the Iowa College Student Aid Commission, and in the case of a cosmetology or barbering school, the Iowa Board of Cosmetology Arts and Sciences or the Iowa Board of Barbering, as applicable under Iowa Code Section 714.25. Contact the Commission's postsecondary registration administrator for more information.
Links and Resources
Closed Iowa Colleges
Colleges and Universities in Iowa
Other Iowa Education-Related Contacts
Commission Contact Information
For additional information regarding the State of Iowa's postsecondary registration, financial responsibility, tuition refund, and disclosure requirements, please contact:
| Before 06/03/2013 Carolyn Small Postsecondary Registration Administrator Iowa College Student Aid Commission 603 East 12th Street, 5th FL Des Moines, IA 50319 (877) 272-4456 Carolyn.Small@iowa.gov |
As of 06/03/2013 Carolyn Small Postsecondary Registration Administrator Iowa College Student Aid Commission 430 East Grand Avenue, 3rd FL Des Moines, IA 50309 (877) 272-4456 Carolyn.Small@iowa.gov |