1. (1) Each application from a school seeking new or renewed authorization to confer or offer to confer a degree, or through instruction or related services to provide academic credit applicable to a degree, shall be accompanied by payment of a fee to the "Higher Education Coordinating Commission." There is no entitlement to refund of a paid fee under any circumstances. The fee is intended to recover the expenses of carrying out a review and providing services to a school during its period of authorization.
   (2) The Commission may impose the following fees on any school applying for new or renewed authorization to confer or offer to confer a degree or to provide academic credit applicable to a degree. The following fees are nonrefundable.
   (a) For periodic review of an Oregon school’s general administrative and academic operations, and continued oversight and support of the school, the Commission may impose the following fee on each school, to be paid biennially:
   (A) $2,000 for a full review and oversight of a school with a complex organizational structure.
   (B) $1,000 for a full review and oversight of a school wholly administered and governed at a single campus in this state.
   (b) For periodic evaluation of academic programs offered by Oregon schools subject to continued oversight, the Commission may impose the following fees per program for the following degrees or certificates:
   (A) $2,000 for a nondegree undergraduate or post-graduate certificate.
   (B) $3,000 for an associate degree.
   (C) $4,000 for a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or doctoral degree.
   (c) Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (b) of this section, the Commission may impose the following fees on each school that is not based in Oregon, offers distance learning courses or programs in Oregon and is not operating as a participant in an interstate agreement entered into under ORS 350.075(3):
   (A) $7,000, to be paid biennially, for a full review and oversight of a school.
   (B) $1,000 for each new program application not offered at the time of the school’s initial application to the Commission.
   (d) In addition to the fees described in subsections (a) to (c) of this section, the Commission may impose on each school that is not based in Oregon a fee of $1,000 per program that, as part of the program, places students in a practicum based in Oregon.
   (A) This subsection does not apply to a placement that is part of an online program offered by a school.
   (B) The Commission may waive the fee imposed under this subsection for limited placements or special circumstances that involve Oregon residents who return to this state for a practicum.
   (e) In addition to the fees described in subsections (a) to (d) of this section:
   (A) The commission may impose a fee of not more than $500 for a change in program, based on the scope and complexity of the proposed program change.
   (B) For review of qualifications of staff prior to hiring, the Commission may impose a fee of:
   (i) Not more than $50 for each new instructor.
   (ii) Not more than $100 for each new administrator or senior academic staff person.
   (f) In addition to the fees described in subsections (a) to (e) of this section, the Commission may assess:
   (A) The actual costs related to the use of experts to evaluate programs leading to professional licensure by the state, if such costs exceed 10 percent of the base fees.
   (B) Costs associated with travel expenses for:
   (i) Schools subject to review and oversight under subsection (a) of this section; or
   (ii) Schools located outside this state that seek authorization to offer degrees without accreditation to residents of this state.
   (g) The Commission may assess a fee not to exceed $1,000 on a school that applies for an exemption under ORS 348.604.
   (h) Any fees collected under this section shall be deposited in the Degree Authorization Account established under ORS 348.601.
   (i) As used in this section, “practicum” means a portion of a degree program that involves a supervised field placement in a professional or workplace environment.
   (3) If a copy of a student transcript maintained by the Commission from a closed postsecondary school is requested from the Commission, the Commission may impose a fee of $12 to the requester.  The Commission will provide 3 official copies and one unofficial copy of student transcripts.
   (4) Fee discounts.
   (a) In reviewing simultaneous application for two or more degrees, the Commission, at its discretion, may reduce the fee for review of a degree that is closely related in type and content to one on the same level for which the full fee is paid. Such a reduction ordinarily depends on the provision of instruction by a single faculty for both degrees. Degrees on the same level using at least 50 percent of the same courses, taught by at least 50 percent of the same faculty, will be treated as one degree application for review and fee purposes.
   (b) The Commission, at its discretion, may also reduce the fee when institution size, low faculty and administrative turnover, stability of ownership or board membership or other factors substantially reduce staff time required for evaluation and subsequent oversight and service. Such reductions are limited to 20 percent below the basic fee.
   (c) The fee for religious-exempt schools may not exceed the actual cost to the Commission of determining the school's compliance with the requirements for an exemption under ORS 348.604, or may not exceed $1,000, whichever is the lesser amount.
   (5) Application from a school for authorization to offer instruction or related services providing academic credit applicable to a degree offered only by another school or schools shall be accompanied by fees proportionate to those established in the paragraph immediately above. However, such fees may be discounted at the discretion of the Commission to reflect a program of reduced dimension if and only when the necessary review analysis is concomitantly reduced.
   (6) When the Commission’s Executive Director finds it necessary to pay an expert outside consultant for assistance in reviewing an application, or when it incurs other unusual expenses in the course of review, all costs thus incurred may be charged to the applicant school in addition to the basic fee.

Statutory/Other Authority

ORS 348.603, ORS 348.606 & ORS 348.607

Statutes/Other Implemented

ORS 348.603, ORS 348.606, ORS 348.607 & ORS 348.604

History

ODA 3-2025, amend filed 11/07/2025, effective 11/07/2025
ODA 1-2016, f. & cert. ef. 2-19-16
ODA 2-2015(Temp), f. & cert. ef. 9-10-15 thru 3-7-16
ODA 1-2015, f. & cert. ef. 3-17-15
Reverted to ODA 5-2005, f. 12-1-05, cert. ef. 12-7-05
ODA 1-2014(Temp), f. & cert. ef. 7-16-14 thru 1-12-15
ODA 5-2005, f. 12-1-05, cert. ef. 12-7-05
Reverted to ODA 4-2003, f. 10-29-03, cert. ef. 11-1-03
ODA 2-2004(Temp), f. & cert. ef. 2-11-04 thru 7-30-04
ODA 4-2003, f. 10-29-03, cert. ef. 11-1-03
ODA 1-2003, f. & cert. ef. 4-16-03
ODA 1-2001, f. & cert. ef. 6-27-01
ODA 1-2000, f. & cert. ef. 2-29-00
ODA 2-1998, f. & cert. ef. 8-12-98
Reverted to EPP 1-1996, f. & cert. ef. 8-7-96
SSC 1-1997(Temp), f. & cert. ef. 8-25-97
EPP 1-1996, f. & cert. ef. 8-7-96
EPP 1-1995, f. & cert. ef. 10-6-95
EPP 1-1993, f. & cert. ef. 6-28-93
EPP 1-1988, f. & cert. ef. 1-7-88
ECC 2-1982, f. & ef. 9-8-82
ECC 1-1982(Temp), f. & ef. 3-12-82