(105 ILCS 426/35)

Sec. 35. Institution and program approval criteria. Each entity seeking a permit of approval is required to demonstrate that it satisfies institution-approval criteria and that each program of study offered meets the program-approval criteria in this Act and any applicable rules. The following standard criteria are intended to measure the appropriateness of the stated educational objectives of the educational programs of a given institution and the extent to which suitable and proper processes have been developed for meeting those objectives. Information related to the satisfaction of the approval criteria outlined in this Section must be supplied to the Board by institutions on forms provided by the Board. Additional information may be requested by the Board to determine the institution's ability to satisfy the criteria. The following must be considered as part of, but not necessarily all of, the criteria for approval of institutions and the programs offered under this Act:

(1) Qualifications of governing board members, owners, and senior administrators. At a minimum, these individuals must be of good moral character and have no felony criminal record.

(2) Qualifications of faculty and staff.

(3) Demonstration of student learning and quality of program delivery.

(4) Sufficiency of institutional finances. The institution must demonstrate that it has the financial resources sufficient to meet its financial obligations, including, but not limited to, refunding tuition pursuant to the institution's stated policies. The school must tender financial records, including, but not limited to, financial statements, income statements, and cash flow statements.

(5) Accuracy, clarity, and appropriateness of program descriptions. Institutional promotional, advertising, and recruiting materials must be clear, appropriate, and accurate.

(6) Sufficiency of facilities and equipment. At a minimum, these must be appropriate and must meet applicable safety code requirements and ordinances.

(7) Fair and equitable refund policies. At a minimum, these must be fair and equitable, must satisfy any related State or federal rules, and must abide by the standards established in Section 60 of this Act and the rules adopted for the implementation of this Act.

(8) Appropriate and ethical admissions and recruitment practices. At a minimum, recruiting practices must be ethical and abide by any State or federal rules.

(9) Recognized accreditation status. Accreditation with an accrediting body approved by the U.S. Department of Education may be counted as significant evidence of the institution's ability to meet curricular approval criteria.

(10) Meeting employment requirements in the field of study. The institution must clearly demonstrate how a student's completion of the program of study satisfies employment requirements in the occupational field. Such information must be clearly and accurately provided to students. If licensure, certification, or their equivalent is required of program graduates to enter the field of employment, the institution must clearly demonstrate that completion of the program will allow students to achieve this status.

(11) Enrollment agreements that, at a minimum, meet the requirements outlined in Section 40 of this Act.

(12) Clearly communicated tuition and fee charges. Tuition and fees and any other expense charged by the school must be appropriate to the expected income that will be earned by graduates. No school may have a tuition policy or enrollment agreement that requires that a student register for more than a single semester, quarter, term, or other such period of enrollment as a condition of the enrollment nor shall any school charge a student for multiple periods of enrollment prior to completion of the single semester, quarter, term, or other such period of enrollment.

(13) Legal action against the institution, its parent company, its owners, its governing board, or its board members. Any such legal action must be provided to the Board and may be considered as a reason for denial or revocation of the permit of approval.

(Source: P.A. 102-1046, eff. 6-7-22.)