(105 ILCS 426/15)

Sec. 15. Definitions. As used in this Act, unless the context otherwise requires:

"Board" means the Board of Higher Education established under the Board of Higher Education Act.

"Certificate of completion" or "certificate" means any designation, appellation, series of letters or words, or other symbol that signifies or purports to signify that the recipient thereof has satisfactorily completed a private business and vocational school's program of study that is beyond the secondary school level, but not a post-secondary degree program at the associate, baccalaureate, master's, doctoral, or post-baccalaureate, professional degree level.

"Chief managing employee" is the individual who is the head administrator or supervisor at a school's principal location.

"Educational institution" or "institution" means an organization that promotes business and vocational education, even though the institution's principal effort may not be exclusively educational in nature.

"Enrollment agreement" means any agreement or instrument, however named, that creates or evidences an obligation binding a student to purchase a program of study from a school.

"Non-degree program of study" or "program of study" means any designation, appellation, series of letters or words, or other symbol that signifies or purports to signify that the recipient has satisfactorily completed an organized academic program of study beyond the secondary school level, such as a certificate, but below the associate's degree level and that does not include any recognized degree program such as an associate's, baccalaureate, master's, or doctoral degree, a post-baccalaureate, professional degree, or a post-degree certificate, such as a post-baccalaureate certificate, post-master's certificate, or post-doctoral certificate. "Program of study" as used in this definition means any academic program beyond the secondary school level, except for a program that is devoted entirely to religion or theology, a program offered by an institution operating under the authority of the Private College Act, the Academic Degree Act, or the Board of Higher Education Act, or a program of study of less than one year in length operating under the statutory authority granted to the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

"Permit of approval" means a non-transferable permit, issued by and pursuant to the authority of the Board of Higher Education through its Division of Private Business and Vocational Schools to a private business and vocational school in the name of the school, that authorizes the school to solicit students and to offer and maintain one or more courses of instruction in compliance with the provisions of this Act and such standards and rules as may be adopted by the Board.

"Private business and vocational school" or "school" means an educational institution privately owned or operated by a person, partnership, corporation, or other entity offering courses of instruction for which tuition is charged, whether such courses of instruction are offered on site, through correspondence, by distance education, or by other methods, to prepare individuals to do any of the following:

(1) To follow a trade or artistic occupation.

(2) To pursue a manual, mechanical, technical, industrial, business, commercial, office, personal service (other than nursing), or other non-professional occupation.

(3) To follow a profession, if the profession is not subject to licensing or registration under any existing State statute requiring the licensing or registration of persons practicing such profession or if the school is not subject to the regulation of the agency with such licensing or registration authority.

(4) To improve, enhance, or add to the skills and abilities of the individual relative to occupational responsibilities or career opportunities.

(Source: P.A. 97-650, eff. 2-1-12.)