*This section is intended to answer general questions about KBOR’s Private Postsecondary Education and what it does.  It is not intended to supersede any statute or regulatory requirements.

1. Why is it necessary to obtain a Certificate of Approval from KBOR before enrolling Kansans?
2. What does the approval process involve?
3. How do schools obtain a Certificate of Approval?
4. How often do schools renew their approval?
5. What about different teaching locations?
6. Does KBOR regulate distance learning via the internet?
7. What are the fees for a Certificate of Approval?
8. Are there advertising standards?
9. What is the complaint process?
10. What if a school closes?
11. How are student transcripts obtained from a closed school?
12. What is accreditation, and how can I obtain accreditation for my school?
13. What are Kansas requirements for degree levels?

1. Why is it necessary to obtain a Certificate of Approval from KBOR before enrolling Kansans?

Receiving a Certificate of Approval from the Kansas Board of Regents assures students the institution meets the quality standards established by KBOR.  Students should review the current list of approved schools and programs located at this website before making a decision about which school to invest in. [back to top]

2. What does the approval process involve?

KBOR has an application form, which is used to guide the process, which generally looks like this:

• school requests application materials;

• school completes and submits the application materials and fees;

• KBOR staff thoroughly reviews the submitted application materials, programs are reviewed based on accepted requirements for Kansas Public Schools and when needed industry consultants may be asked to evaluate programs;

• if needed, school makes corrections to meet KBOR requirements;

• degree programs are submitted as an agenda item at a monthly KBOR meeting for approval;

• when all the application materials meet KBOR requirements, the school is approved to operate. The approval process can take as little as four weeks up to several months depending on the quality of submission documentation and program evaluation requirements.

• site evaluations may be required. [back to top] 

3. How do schools obtain a Certificate of Approval?

Schools wishing to establish or purchase an institution in the State of Kansas must first apply for a Certificate of Approval by first contacting the KBOR office of Private Postsecondary and Out-of-State Education at (785) 296-1529, or go to our Applying for Certificate of Approval section. [back to top]

4. How often do schools renew their approval?

All schools must renew their Certificate of Approval annually. [back to top]

5. What about different teaching locations?

Branch locations are any subsidiary place of business maintained within the state of Kansas by an institution at a site which is separate from the site of the institution’s place of business and where the institution offers a course or courses of instruction or study identical to the course or courses of instruction or study offered by the institution at its principal place of business. [back to top]

6. Does KBOR regulate distance learning via the internet?

Kansas statutes require any school serving Kansas students, no matter the means of delivery, to be approved by KBOR.  However, many schools offering programs and degrees via the Internet do not seek KBOR approval.  To protect themselves, students should contact KBOR before enrolling in schools offering distance learning programs. [back to top]

7. What are the fees for a Certificate of Approval?

KBOR Private Postsecondary Education is a state agency that receives no tax monies to carry out its responsibilities.  KBOR charges a range of fees for an initial school application, annual re-applications, and school representative applications. [back to top]

8. Are there advertising standards?

Yes, all advertising and promotional materials must meet the requirements listed in Kansas regulation 88-28-.2 (13) [back to top]

9. What is the complaint process?

The schools complaint process should be posted at each school.  The process for filing a complaint with KBOR, along with required paperwork, can be found within Complaint Procedures. [back to top]

10. What if a school closes?

Upon closure of an institution, the institution must make available all student records that are or have been in attendance at the institutions.  The records can be turned over to the state for permanent storage.  Records must be kept for 50 years. [back to top]

11. How are student transcripts obtained from a closed school?

KBOR does not have student records for all closed schools.  If students need a transcript from a closed school, please contact KBOR to learn if those records are available.  The process for requesting transcripts is detailed in the following resources:
          Request for Transcript Form
          Obtaining a Transcript from a Closed Private/Post Secondary
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12. What is accreditation, and how can I obtain accreditation for my school?

The term “accreditation” is often misunderstood or incorrectly used synonymously with KBOR approval. All private postsecondary schools or out-of-state schools serving Kansas students are required by Kansas law to obtain a Certificate of Approval from the Kansas Board of Regents.  Accreditation is a non-governmental, voluntary peer review process.  More information can be found at CHEA.org [back to top]

13. What are Kansas requirements for degree levels?

For Kansas purposes, the word certificate equates with “diploma”. 

Kansas regulations define the following awards:

Certificate of Completion  
Award earned by completing a KBOR-designated stand-alone parent    program. A stand-alone parent program : (1) is less than 16 credit hours, (2) is not associated with another program of 16+ credit hours and (3) (generally) leads to an industry recognized credential, license, or certification.

Certificate Program 

(1) A course or series of courses leading to a certificate, diploma, or degree: or

(2) training that prepares a person for a field of endeavor in a business, trade, technical, or industrial occupation.

Associate Degree 
60 credit hours or the equivalent of college-level coursework;

Bachelor's Degree 
No less than 120 credit hours or the equivalent in upper-division coursework.

Master's Degree 
A degree that meets the following conditions:

• Is granted to each student who successfully completes a program in the liberal arts and sciences or in a professional field beyond a bachelor’s degree;

• Requires the equivalent of at least one academic year in a curriculum specializing in a single discipline or single occupational or professional area; and

• Culminates in a demonstration of mastery, which may include one or more of the following: (a) a research thesis; (b) a work of art; or (c) the solution of an applied professional problem. 

Specialist Degree
A degree in some programs of education or psychology and awarded for study beyone the Master's degree but below the doctorage.  Schooling usually, but not always, involves one to three years of coursework and practica, followed by a one year internship, or practical field work.  Depending on the program offering the degree, a Master's degree can be conferred during the process once its requiremnts are met, or the program may requrie an already completed Master's.

Doctorate Degree 
A degree that may include study for a closely related master’s degree and that meets the following conditions:

• Is granted to each student who successfully complete an intensive, scholarly program requiring the equivalent of at least three academic years beyond the bachelor’s degree;

• Requires a demonstration of mastery of a significant body of knowledge through successful completion of either of the following: (a) A comprehensive examination; or (b) a professional examination, the successful completion of which may be required in order to be admitted to professional practice in Kansas; and 

• Requires evidence, in the form of a doctoral dissertation, or competence in independent basic or applied research that involves the highest levels of knowledge and expertise.
  

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