Opinion No. 74-135 (1974) Ag

CourtOklahoma Attorney General Reports
DecidedApril 21, 1974
StatusPublished

This text of Opinion No. 74-135 (1974) Ag (Opinion No. 74-135 (1974) Ag) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oklahoma Attorney General Reports primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Opinion No. 74-135 (1974) Ag, (Okla. Super. Ct. 1974).

Opinion

AREA VOCATIONAL — TECHNICAL SCHOOLS — AUTHORITY Area vocational-technical schools of Oklahoma are authorized to offer education beyond high school within the meaning of 20 U.S.C.A. 1085(c) and 1141(a) but whether the remaining requirements of these sections of federal law are met would depend upon a separate factual determination by the United States Commissioner of Education relating to a particular area vocational-technical school. The State Board of Vocational and Technical Education has been granted authority by 70 O.S. 14-103 [70-14-103] and 70 O.S. 14-108 [70-14-108] (1971) to determine the quality of programs offered at vocational-technical schools and colleges, other than "institutions of higher education supported wholly or in part by direct legislative appropriation," within the meaning of Article XIII-A of the Oklahoma Constitution. The State Board of Vocational and Technical Education is authorized to supervise and accredit adult vocational, technical and occupational education offered at those institutions and 70 O.S. 2268 [70-2268] and 70 O.S. 2269 [70-2269] (1974) provide for participation by the State Board in federal funds received under part B of Title 10 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, codified at20 U.S.C.A. 1135b through 20 U.S.C.A. 1135b9. The Attorney General has considered your request for an opinion wherein you ask, in effect, the following questions: 1. Whether or not Area Vocational-Technical Schools in the State of Oklahoma have been granted legal authority to offer education beyond high school. 2. Whether or not the State Department of Vocational and Technical Education in Oklahoma is granted legal authority to determine the quality of public education, not for college credit, beyond high school. 3. Does Senate Joint Resolution 35 of the 1973 legislative session, codified at 70 O.S. 2251 [70-2251] through 70 O.S. 2272 [70-2272] (1974), specify that the State Board of Vocational and Technical Education has the authority to supervise and accredit adult vocational, technical, and occupational education (not for college credit) for gainful employment beyond high school and participate in federal funds provided under Title X, parts A and B, of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. In your request you state that the eligibility of students attending area vocational and technical schools for certain grants, assistance and loans under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, has been questioned and that in order to be an eligible institution under this Act an area vocational and technical school must have authority to offer education beyond secondary education. It is in this context in which your request for an opinion has been considered. Concerning your first question, Section 1201 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, codified at 20 U.S.C.A. 1141, defines the term "Institution of Higher Education," generally for purposes of being eligible for assistance and aid under Chapter 28 of Title 20 U.S.C.A., as follows: "As used in this chapter — "(a) The term 'institution of higher education' means an educational institution in any State which (1) admits as regular students only persons having a certificate of graduation from a school providing secondary education, or the recognized equivalent of such a certificate, (2) is legally authorized within such State to provide a program of education beyond secondary education, (3) provides an educational program for which it awards a bachelor's degree or provides not less than a two-year program which is acceptable for full credit toward such a degree, (4) is a public or other nonprofit institution, and (5) is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association or, if not so accredited, (A) is an institution with respect to which the Commissioner has determined that there is satisfactory assurance, considering the resources if any, during which it has operated, the effort it is making to meet accreditation standards, and the purpose for which this determination is being made, that the institution will meet the accreditation standards of such an agency or association within a reasonable time, or (B) is an institution whose credits are accepted, on transfer, by not less than three institutions which are so accredited, for credit on the same basis as if transferred from an institution so accredited. Such term also includes any school which provides not less than a one-year program of training to prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation and which meets the provisions of clauses (1), (2), (4), and (5). For purposes of this subsection, the Commissioner shall publish a list of nationally recognized accrediting agencies or associations which he determines to be reliable authority as to the quality of training offered. ****" Generally, under the Federal Act any institution which meets the above definition would be eligible for the various programs of aid and assistance. Under certain specific programs provided for in the Higher Education Act of 1965, however, different definitions of institutions or programs are used as a basis for qualifying or being eligible to participate in these programs of assistance or grants. Such definitions generally contain somewhat less stringent requirements than the definition cited above in 20 U.S.C.A. 1141(a). As to whether a particular institution or school qualifies under these various definitions would depend upon a separate factual determination in each case. As to Clause (2) of 20 U.S.C.A. 1141(a), subsection (d) of Section 1141, must also be considered in ascertaining what is meant by a program of education beyond secondary education. Subsection (d) of Section 1141 reads as follows: "The term 'secondary school' means a school which provides secondary education as determined under state law except it does not include any education provided beyond grade twelve." The question, therefore, is whether or not area vocational and technical schools are authorized under Oklahoma law to provide a program of education beyond grade twelve. This question is answered in part by Attorney General's Opinion No. 68-379, issued December 19, 1968, stating that an area school district is a separate and distinct entity from school districts offering secondary educational programs. In addition, Section 9B of Article X, Section 9B of the Oklahoma Constitution places no limitation upon area vocational and technical schools as to secondary or postsecondary programs. Senate Joint Resolution 35 of the 1973 Legislative Session, codified as 70 O.S. 2251 [70-2251] through 2272, dealing with the responsibilities of the State Board of Vocational and Technical Education -and the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, purports, however, to equate the specific term "higher education", as used in Article XIIIA of the Oklahoma Constitution, with the general term "postsecondary education," and in Section 70 O.S. 2252 [70-2252] provides as follows: "The term 'higher education' as used in Article XIII-A

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Bluebook (online)
Opinion No. 74-135 (1974) Ag, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/opinion-no-74-135-1974-ag-oklaag-1974.