No individual, school, board, association, corporation, business, institution, or other entity may use the term "college" or "university" or use any other name, title, literature, catalogs, pamphlets, or descriptive matter which implies that it is an institution of higher learning or that it may grant educational credentials or credit or academic or professional degrees, except as follows:

1. (A) An institution the commission licenses may use the term "college" in its name only if it offers at least one program leading to an associate or higher degree.

2. (B) An institution may use the term "university" in its name if the institution is:

   1. (1) operating and licensed in South Carolina and using the term " university" in its name before the effective date of this chapter, or

   2. (2) an out-of-state institution that is chartered or licensed in its home state using the term "university" in its name.

      Any other institution must petition the commission for approval to use the term "university" in its name.

HISTORY: 1992 Act No. 497, Section 1; 2002 Act No. 284, Section 4.