{"data":{"id":"us-or/ors-348.594","jurisdiction":"us-or","citation":"ORS 348.594","heading":"Definitions for ORS 348.594 to 348.615.","body":"As used in ORS 348.594 to 348.615:\n      (1)(a) “Diploma mill” means:\n      (A) A school against which a court or public body, as defined in ORS 174.109, has issued a ruling or finding, after due process procedures, that the school has engaged in dishonest, fraudulent or deceptive practices related to the award of degrees, academic standards or student learning requirements;\n      (B) An entity without legal authority as a school to issue degrees valid as credentials in the jurisdiction that authorizes issuance of degrees; or\n      (C) A school or entity that:\n      (i) Offers fee-based degrees, diplomas or certificates that may be used to represent to the general public that the individual possessing the degree, diploma or certificate has completed a program of post-secondary education or training;\n      (ii) Requires an individual to complete little or no education or coursework to obtain the degree, diploma or certificate; and\n      (iii) Has not been accredited by a post-secondary accrediting agency.\n      (b) “Diploma mill” does not include:\n      (A) A school operating legally under ORS 348.604; or\n      (B) A school that is actively seeking and able to show evidence of reasonable progress toward institutional accreditation with a post-secondary accrediting agency.\n      (2) “Post-secondary accrediting agency” means a legal entity, or part of a legal entity, that:\n      (a) Conducts accrediting activities through voluntary peer review;\n      (b) Makes decisions concerning the accreditation or pre-accreditation status of institutions and programs; and\n      (c) Is recognized by the United States Department of Education as an entity that conducts the activities and makes the decisions described in this subsection.\n      (3)(a) “School” means a person, organization, school or institution of learning that confers or offers to confer an academic degree upon a person or to provide academic credit applicable to a degree.\n      (b) “School” does not include:\n      (A) An Oregon community college;\n      (B) A public university listed in ORS 352.002; or\n      (C) The Oregon Health and Science University.","path":["09 - Education and Culture","30. Education and Culture","Chapter 348 — Student Aid; Education Stability Fund; Planning"],"source_url":"https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors348.html","current_through":"2025 Edition","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-03T23:50:13Z","sha256":"690dfcefc90c35f8bf820bbc3be9e1ab9c58d873e537264f4a81428e0f041aa8","source_id":"us-or","stale":false,"prev":"us-or/ors-348.592","next":"us-or/ors-348.596"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}