Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Saturday, January 25, 2014
Auditor: State Laws Sufficient to Protect Against Diploma Mills
By Hawaii State Auditor @ 3:25 PM :: 4892 Views :: Hawaii State Government, Higher Education

Sunrise Analysis: Regulation of Unaccredited Degree Granting Institutions

Proposed regulation is not warranted, as existing laws provide sufficient consumer protection

Hawaii State Auditor’s Report No. 14-03, January, 2014

HB 1200, HD 2 is not reasonably necessary to protect the public 

House Bill No. 1200, House Draft 2, is not needed to comply with the Higher Education Act of 1965 and other flaws in the bill do not warrant its enactment. The proposed regulation is unwarranted, as recent legislation has changed the legal landscape and the bill has several flaws. For instance, a post-secondary education program now exists within the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), whereas the bill proposes to place a commission there. More importantly, the bill does not specify a regulatory framework; that is, it does not state whether it would require licensure, certification, or registration for unaccredited degree granting institutions. We found the cost of regulation would be prohibitive, at nearly twice the fees for accredited institutions. These costs would likely translate to higher costs for consumers and restrict entry into the field for other unaccredited institutions. There have been numerous complaints against unaccredited degree granting institutions, but these have declined considerably in recent years, from a peak of 239 in 2005 to one in 2013.

  • Complaints against UDGIs in 2005 -- 239
  • Complaints against UDGIs in 2013 -- 1
  • OCP actions filed against UDGIs, 1997–2012 – 51

Existing laws protect consumers

The purpose of Chapter 446E, HRS, is consumer welfare, and although Hawai‘i has a reputation for lax regulation of diploma mills, it is also known for actively prosecuting them. Enforcement by DCCA’s Office of Consumer Protection against unaccredited degree granting institutions for violations of prohibited practices under existing laws in Chapter 446E, Hawai‘i Revised Statutes (HRS), provides sufficient consumer protection. All states, including Hawai‘i, have laws addressing unaccredited institutions. Hawai‘i’s law already covers online entities.

Most of LRB’s 1993 recommendations have been addressed

Six of the nine recommendations in the Legislative Reference Bureau’s 1993 Report No. 5, Private Accreditation and State Authorization of Degree Granting and Non-degree Granting Institutions in Hawai‘i, have been addressed.

Agency response

The DCCA concurred with our conclusion that a post-secondary authorization program regulating UDGIs is unnecessary. Regarding the number of UDGIs physically located in Hawai‘i, DCCA pointed out that its database of business registrants is not limited to UDGIs and there may be UDGIs operating without a business registration, as registration is not mandatory.

read … The Entire Report

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT