California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education

Purpose

The California Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) is not an accreditor, but rather approves postsecondary schools to operate in the state that meet "minimum standards established by the Bureau for integrity, financial stability, and educational quality".

The Bureau provides "oversight of California's private postsecondary educational institutions by conducting qualitative reviews of educational programs and operating standards, proactively combating unlicensed activity, impartially resolving student and consumer complaints, and conducting outreach". The Bureau conducts announced and unannounced compliance inspections, and investigates complaints about fraud.

The BPPE website includes lists of Denied Schools, Compliance Inspection Results, Disciplinary Actions etc allowing potential students and their funders to check the status of individual institutions. For example Coding House Institute has been on the Denied Schools list since 2 March 2018. The Disciplinary Actions page provides all of the formal documentation that explains the background to the denial and the legal steps taken.

Exemptions

Certain institutions are exempt from BPPE oversight under the California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009. These exemptions include:

• Non-profit religious institutions
• Public institutions
• Certain accredited institutions

These exemptions are further outlined in California Education Code § 94874.

History

Private colleges were previously regulated by the California Department of Education. Reforms, including the Maxine Waters School Reform and Student Protection Act were implemented during the late 1980s and 1990s. These laws created the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education (BPPVE). The laws authorizing these reforms expired without immediate replacement, and from the start of 2007 until the end of 2009, California did not have any agency regulating private schools.

The Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009, which was signed into law on October 11, 2009, created the BPPE as part of the Department of Consumer Affairs to regulate private postsecondary educational institutions operating in California. The BPPE began operation on January 1, 2010.

References

References

1. (2009-08-24). "More financial news". The Boston Globe.
2. (2024-07-05). "Get state approval in California [ April 2025 ]".
3. "Glossary – Federal Student Aid". [[United States Department of Education]].
4. "Bureau for Private and Post-Secondary Education - BPPE".
5. "Bureau for Private and Post-Secondary Education - BPPE".
6. (2012). "Compliance Inspections". California Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education.
7. "BPPE - disciplinary actions".
8. (2024-07-05). "Get state approval in California [ April 2025 ]".
9. [http://www.bppe.ca.gov/ California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education website], accessed September 6, 2010
10. [http://www.bppe.ca.gov/about_us/history.shtml Private Postsecondary Overview] {{Webarchive. link. (2011-04-30 , California Department of Consumer Affairs, accessed June 8, 2008)