Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 348 § 348.586 — Prohibited promotional activities for institutions of higher education

Prohibited promotional activities for institutions of higher education. An institution of higher education that operates in this state may not: (1) Promise or guarantee employment, or overstate the availability of jobs, upon completion of an educational program or degree from the institution. (2) Advertise inaccurately regarding length of time required to learn a trade or skill. (3) Omit from an advertisement, or from promotional material, information indicating which educational programs are delivered by means of distance education. (4) Advertise, or indicate in promotional material, that the institution is accredited, if the institution is not accredited. (5) Solicit students for enrollment by advertising material in “help wanted” or similar columns in a magazine, newspaper or similar publication. (6) Use advertising that does not identify the institution. (7) Compensate or offer to compensate a student enrolled at the institution to act as an agent of the institution to solicit, refer or recruit a person for enrollment in the institution, other than through regular student employment. This subsection does not prohibit an institution from, during a calendar year, awarding tokens or gifts with an aggregate value of $100 or less to a student for referring a person to the institution. A token or gift may not be in the form of money. (8) Pay any consideration to a person to induce the person to sign an enrollment agreement for an educational program. (9) Imply or suggest that: (a) The institution is affiliated with a government agency, public or private corporation, agency or association, if it is not so affiliated. (b) The institution is a public institution, if it is not a public institution. (c) The institution grants degrees, if the institution does not grant degrees. (10) Use the phrase, “approved to operate,” or similar words or phrases, without indicating that “approved to operate” means compliance with standards set by law. If the Higher Education Coordinating Commission has authorized an institution to offer an approved degree program, the institution may indicate the approval but may not state or imply that: (a) The institution or its educational programs are endorsed or recommended by the State of Oregon or the commission. (b) The approval to operate means the institution exceeds minimum standards set by law. (11) Direct any individual to perform an act that violates this section, to refrain from reporting unlawful conduct to the commission or any other government agency or to persuade a student not to complain to the commission. (12) Compensate an employee involved in recruitment, enrollment, admissions, attendance or sales of educational materials to students on the basis of a commission, commission draw, bonus, quota or similar method related to the recruitment, enrollment, admissions, attendance or sales of educational materials to students. (13) Require a student to provide personal contact information in order to obtain, from the institution’s Internet website: (a) Educational program information required to be in the school catalog; or (b) Any information required to be disseminated under the consumer information provisions of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. (14) Offer an associate, baccalaureate, master’s or doctoral degree without disclosing to students at the time of application whether the institution or the degree program is accredited and any known limitation of the degree, including, but not limited to: (a) Whether completion of the educational program will meet license, registration, certificate or other authorization requirements to practice a profession or trade in this state. (b) That a student enrolled in an institution that is not accredited is not eligible for federal financial aid programs. [2014 c.84 §4] Note: See note under 348.582.