Advertising educational opportunities comes with a higher standard of responsibility. Image: Flickr / denisemattox / CC-BY-ND
Advertising education and educational opportunities can be a great option for affiliates. If you are advertising educational opportunities (Adworkz sign in required) there are new legal requirements that must be followed. These requirements technically apply only to Title IV schools, but they should be applied to all educational advertising. Details are important. Make sure advertisements are factual and representative of the school or program being advertised.
Careful use of statistics
National averages or Bureau of Labor Statistics information should only be used in educational advertising if they are representative of real results from the school.
Only salary claims that can be backed up by statistics from that school’s graduates can be used.
Length of program claims, i.e. “in just two years,” must be accompanied by indications of full time or part time courses of study.
Honest representation of financial aid
Advertised scholarships must be true scholarships, not discounts or loans.
Students must be informed that they have the right to refuse offered financial aid.
No marketing may imply or offer “guaranteed financing,” unapproved incentives or any kind of payment or incentive for submitting requests for information.
Representing the school
The phrase “small class sizes” can only be used if statistically true.
Any use of the word “accredited” must be followed by an indication of the accrediting agency and an indication if the accreditation is sufficient for employment.
If advertising transfer of credits, any limitations on the transfer of those credits must be indicated in the advertising.
Any connections to or mentions of employers in advertising cannot be used to imply employability.
Schools may not imply or indicate that they will be open for an indeterminate amount of time; phrases such as “graduates may always take refresher courses” are not allowed.
Relationship between schools and affiliates
Under the new rules, a school is responsible for the actions of affiliate advertisers. For affiliates, this means adhering very carefully to the legal requirements of educational advertising or risking your relationship with the advertiser.
To read a full breakdown of the educational advertising requirements, visit the Education Marketing Council
