(A) The state board of career colleges and schools shall issue a certificate of registration to an applicant seeking to offer one or more programs upon receipt of the fee established in accordance with section 3332.07 of the Revised Code and upon determining the applicant has the facilities, resources, and faculty to provide students with the kind of instruction that it proposes to offer and meets the minimum standards of the board. A certificate of registration shall be granted or denied within one hundred twenty days of the receipt of the application therefor by the board. A person shall obtain a separate certificate for each location at which the person offers programs. The first certificate of registration issued on or after June 29, 1999, for each new location is valid for one year, unless earlier revoked for cause by the board under section 3332.09 of the Revised Code. Any other certificate of registration is valid for two years, unless earlier revoked for cause by the board under that section.

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(B) The board shall issue program authorization for an associate degree, certificate, or diploma program to an applicant holding a certificate of registration issued pursuant to division (A) of this section upon receipt of the fee established in accordance with section 3332.07 of the Revised Code and upon determining the applicant has the facilities, resources, and faculty to provide students the kind of program it proposes to offer and meets the minimum standards of the state board.

Any program authorization issued by the board under this division is valid only for the specified program at the location for which it is issued and does not cover any other program offered at the school or at other schools operated by the owner. Program authorization is valid for the period of time specified by the board, unless earlier suspended or revoked for cause by the board under section 3332.09 of the Revised Code.

(C)(1) The state board shall accept and review applications for program authorization for baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degree programs only from the following:

(a) Any school holding a certificate of registration issued by the board that has held such certificate for the ten previous consecutive years;

(b) Any school holding a certificate of registration issued by the board that also holds an equivalent certificate issued by another state and has held the equivalent certificate for the ten previous consecutive years.

(2) After review the board shall refer any application it finds valid to the Ohio board of regents for approval. The board of regents shall review, and approve or disapprove, such degree programs and if so approved, issue certificates of authorization to such schools to offer such degree programs pursuant to Chapter 1713 of the Revised Code. The board of regents shall notify the state board of career colleges and schools of each school registered with the state board that receives a certificate of authorization and the approval to offer any degree program. Upon receipt of such notification and the fee established in accordance with section 3332.07 of the Revised Code, the state board shall review, and may issue program authorization to offer, such a degree program. Any program authorization issued by the board under this division is valid only for the specified program at the location for which it is issued and does not cover any other program offered at the school or at other schools operated by the owner. Program authorization is valid for the period of time specified by the board, unless earlier suspended or revoked for cause by the board under section 3332.09 of the Revised Code. The state board shall not issue such program authorization unless the degree program has been approved by the board of regents.

(D) The board may cause an investigation to be made into the correctness of the information submitted in any application received under this section. If the board believes that false, misleading, or incomplete information has been submitted to it in connection with any application, the board shall conduct a hearing on the matter pursuant to Chapter 119 of the Revised Code, and may withhold a certificate of registration or program authorization upon finding that the applicant has failed to meet the standards for such certificate or program authorization or has submitted false, misleading, or incomplete information to the board. Application for a certificate of registration or program authorization shall be made in writing to the board on forms furnished by the board. A certificate of registration or program authorization is not transferable and shall be prominently displayed on the premises of an institution.

The board shall assign registration numbers to all schools registered with it. Schools shall display their registration numbers on all school publications and on all advertisements bearing the name of the school.

Notwithstanding the requirements of this section for issuance of certificates of registration and program authorization, the board may, in accordance with rules adopted by it, grant certificates of registration and program authorization to schools, colleges, institutes, or universities that have been approved by the state department of education pursuant to the “Act of March 3, 1966,” 80 Stat. 20, 38 U.S.C.A. 1771.