Protecting Education Consumers

The state’s Degree-Granting Institutions Act protects Washington consumers from substandard, fraudulent and deceptive activities at degree-granting colleges and universities authorized by the HECB. The benefits of the law:

• Students are guaranteed consumer protection under state law.
• Employers can rely on the credibility of institutional degree programs.
• If  a school closes, the state can intervene to preserve student records
• Information collected through the authorization process assists HECB staff in determining statewide program needs.

Unfair Business Practice Complaints
Students who believe they have lost tuition and fees as the result of unfair business practices by institutions authorized by the HECB should outline their concerns and send them with contact information to dainfo@hecb.wa.gov.  Examples of unfair business practices include misrepresenting faculty qualifications or making false claims in a college catalog.

The HECB also administers the Foreign Degree-granting Branch Campus Act, which applies to foreign colleges or universities that send students enrolled in programs in the countr of origin to Washington for brief periods of study.

Consumer Alert - University of Northern Washington

False Academic Credentials

What If My College Closes? - Transcript Request Form

What Is a Diploma Mill?

Credit Transfer Disputes - Transfer Issue Report Form

Scholarship Scams