SCHEV
James Monroe Building
101 North Fourteenth Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
Phone: (804) 225-2600
Fax: (804) 225-2604
TDD: (804) 371-8017
Web: www.schev.edu
Instructions for Completing
Institutional Certification Applications
Required Forms
Institutional Certification
Application Form
Institutional Certification
Checklist for Postsecondary
Schools
Institutional Sites Listing
Certificate, Diploma, or Degree
Program Information
New School Application Process
Complete the Institutional Certification Application Form in its entirety.
Section VII: Be sure to include projected enrollment data as requested.
Complete the Institutional Certification Checklist.
Attestation Statement must be notarized.
If school plans to operate multiple sites in Virginia, complete the Institutional Sites
Listing application including the requested information for each site. Disregard if the
school will operate only one site in Virginia.
Complete the Certificate, Diploma, or Degree Program Information application, which
is an Excel spreadsheet and include all programs to be offered by the school.
Include the appropriate Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code for each
program. The CIP code listing can be found at:
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2002/cip2000/.
The spreadsheet should be e-mailed to KeondraNicholas@schev.edu the day your
application package is mailed to SCHEV.
Program Notification
Projected Accounting Budget
Complete a Program Notification application in its entirety for each program to be
offered by the school. If a Career/Technical school, evidence that each program
conforms to state, federal, trade or manufacturing standards of training must be
attached.
Schools submitting an initial application for certification must submit a school plan
(see below) with budget projections that show that it has the financial resources
necessary to support its purpose, implement its program and maintain its continuity
for a minimum of three years, with its application package. The school may use this
form to meet the financial reporting requirements. An audited, reviewed or compiled
financial statement is preferred.
All new schools must obtain a surety instrument. New schools must maintain a
surety instrument for the first two full years of its existence. Complete and return the
Surety Bond Calculation Worksheet to determine required surety amount. School
may obtain a surety bond from an insurance company or an irrevocable letter of
credit from a bank authorized to do business in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Surety Instrument Calculation
Worksheet
Minimum acceptable surety amount is $5,000.
Resources for bonds include:
 National Association of Surety Bond Producers (NASBP) – www.nasbp.org
 The Surety & Fidelity Association of America (SAA) – www.surety.org
 American Insurance Association – www.aiadc.org
Instructions for Completing Application
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Revised: 8/08
Surety Bond & Sample Clean
Irrevocable Letter of Credit
These are samples only. The insurance company or bank issuing the surety
instrument may use these forms or forms of their own design. The original surety
instrument must be included in the application package.
Minimum surety instrument is $5,000.
The obligee must be listed as:
Commonwealth of Virginia, State Council of Higher Education for Virginia
Acknowledgement of Prior
Postsecondary Involvement
Complete the Acknowledgement of Prior Postsecondary Involvement application,
including requested information for President/CEO and all governing board
members. If no prior postsecondary involvement, note “not applicable” on the
application.
The application must be notarized.
Administrator and Instructor
Qualification
Complete a form for each administrator and faculty member involved with the school
operating in Virginia. The appropriate form should be completed and maintained in
the personal file of new hires.
Officials of the applicant postsecondary school must prepare a school plan that
provides in-depth information about the school by giving attention to the following
topics:
School Plan
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
l.
Institutional Objectives
Organization and Governance
Academic Programs
Degree Requirements
Admissions Requirements
Administrators
Faculty
Student Services
Library and Learning Resources
Physical Facilities
Financial Resources
Market Analysis
Other areas to be addressed, but not included in the topical listing, should be added
by the school in an effort to give as clear a picture as possible of the institution’s
operation.
If the school is incorporated, include a current, valid copy of the State Corporation
Commission certificate in the application package.
If an out-of-state institution, include a copy of the institution’s authorization to operate
from the state agency in which its main campus is located.
Include a copy of the valid, current business license from the Virginia locality within
which the school will operate.
Other documents required to
complete application package
Include a copy of the Certificate of Occupancy for the facility from which instruction
will be provided.
If an out-of-state school, documentation from the higher education coordinating
and/or approval agency in the state/country in which the school is formed, chartered,
established or incorporated indicating the school is operating in good standing.
Include a copy of the school/student catalog and enrollment agreement.
Include sample advertising/marketing materials.
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Instructions for Completing Application
Revised: 8/08
Certification fee must be paid by company check made payable to the:
Treasurer of Virginia.
Initial fee for all new institutions of higher education - $6,000
Fees
Initial fee for all new career-technical schools - $2,500.
In the event of a school submits a non-negotiable check, a $35 returned check fee
will be assessed and the school’s application for certification will be returned.
Application submission
All required forms and documents should be submitted in a notebook with a table of
contents and clearly marked tabs/indices/section dividers.
Documents should be submitted in the order provided by these instructions.
The school plan report should be included in its entirety under one tab/section
divider.
Sheet protectors are not necessary.
Completed certification packages should be mailed to:
Linda H. Woodley
Director, Private and Out-of-State Postsecondary Education
State Council of Higher Education for Virginia
101 North 14th Street, 9th Floor
James Monroe Building
Richmond, VA 23219
Richmond, VA 23219
Instructions for Completing Application
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Revised: 8/08