Policy Guidelines

In order to assist schools in properly implementing the new proprietary school laws and amended regulations, the Bureau of Proprietary School Supervision (BPSS) will periodically issue Policy Guidelines (PG's).

These brief statements will include explanations and interpretations of particular provisions of the law and regulations. The information contained in the PG's will help schools meet their compliance mandates by explaining BPSS policy in the particular area. In addition, the PG's will be used by BPSS to set forth and clarify those statutory and/or regulatory provisions that specify "as determined by the Commissioner" and/or "as defined by the Commissioner."

Many of the PG's will be initiated through discussions and recommendations by the Advisory Council For Licensed Private Career Schools. Ongoing input from schools and professional associations in our sector will also provide the input for new PG's. The content of each PG will be reviewed by BPSS staff and approved for final draft by the Bureau Director prior to adoption and dissemination through this website.

For organizational purposes, PG's will be given designated numbers in sequence and upon the date they are issued. The first PG issued will be set forth in March 2000. Therefore, the number designation will be 1-0300.

Even though PG's will not have specific expiration dates, the intent is for them to be periodically updated and revised as needed. As the discretion of the Commissioner and BPSS is adjusted and amended to reflect changes within the proprietary school sector and the workplace, PG's will be adjusted and issued accordingly. A PG that contains revised information will be updated, and the date of the last revision will be noted on the BPSS Policy Guideline List web page under the "updated" column. Schools should periodically check the Policy Guideline List page for the most recent updates and adjustments.

Effective March 26, 2001, PG's will replace all Administrative Directives (AD) or Informational Policy Memoranda (IPM) previously issued by BPSS. Any replacements will reference one of these previous policy statements for the purpose of updating or clarification. A PG will also set forth the specific provision within the statutes and/or regulations that it is intended to help interpret and implement.

Comments and input on this area may be e-mailed to BPSS at bpss@nysed.gov. All final PG's adopted by BPSS will be maintained officially on this website for easy access by schools, students, and the public. A current list of issued PG's and any updates will be maintained on this site.