Overview
Contact the Private Career Colleges (PCC) branch before you:
- update licensed programs
- create new programs
- cancel an existing licence
- close your college
Program changes
Making changes – no matter how small – to your career programs could affect your existing licence(s). Please contact government if you are:
- making changes to licensed programs
- licensing additional programs
- closing a licensed program
Making changes to licensed programs
Changes made to licensed programs to reflect industry feedback require government approval. Access the tools you'll need to make changes to licensed programs on the Provider SharePoint site (password required).
Licensing additional programs
Private career colleges wishing to offer additional vocational programs are encouraged to contact government before submitting their application to see if a licence is needed.
Closing a licensed program
If you wish to cancel one or more licensed programs but will continue to offer other licensed programs, you must inform government in writing. Make sure the notification you send can confirm:
- students have finished the program(s)
- there are no outstanding contractual obligations
After government receives the notification, licensed programs can be cancelled 60 days after the last contracted student leaves the program, provided no compliance matters arise regarding former students.
College changes
Changes to your business can also affect your career program licence. When in doubt, contact government to find out how to proceed.
Change to responsible authority
When a private career college applies for a program licence, they are required to assign a Responsible Authority for the business. This is usually the CEO, but could also be a President or Chair of a Board of Governors. If you are planning a change to the Responsible Authority, it should be communicated by the Responsible Authority and confirmed by the ownership in advance of the change.
Change in ownership
If your private career college changes ownership by way of asset sale, the purchaser must apply for a new licence to offer the career training program(s). In the case of share sales or transfer of shares, the licence stays with the corporation. When a share sale or transfer results in a change of ownership (for example: change in the shares of more than 50%) notification must be provided at least 30 days prior to the date at which the change is to occur.
Learn more about change in ownership.
You can advise government of an upcoming change of ownership by completing Section 6 of the Notification Change Form in the Provider SharePoint site (password required).
Closing a private career college
When you close your private career college, you may be required to submit tuition refund information/documentation for:
- a specific timeframe
- former students who withdrew from licensed training
- current students whose studies were terminated
Once government has received and reviewed the required documentation, you will be asked to provide written confirmation that there are no outstanding student contractual obligations with respect to licensed training. This written confirmation will be in the form of a statutory declaration (to be provided by government).
Licence cancellation can take place 60 days after the last contracted student leaves licensed training, provided no compliance matters arise regarding former students.
Following licence cancellation, letters of credit will be released and surety bonds cancelled.