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District of Columbia postsecondary institution bonds.
$500 flat.
The District conditions a postsecondary school’s license on a surety bond that protects students if the school closes or fails to refund tuition. This page is the $50,000 institution bond filed with the Higher Education Licensure Commission (HELC) — ours is $500 flat, set by our carrier’s rate book for this bond.
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Three steps to filed.
Your school's license is waiting on this bond. Here's the entire process — no broker phone tag:
Apply once, online
School details, ownership, and an effective date. A quick soft credit check may apply — never a hard inquiry.
Approved
Most are approved as soon as you apply. If a check runs, it's a soft pull that never affects your score. If it needs a second look, one to two business days at most.
File with the Commission
Pay online and receive the executed $50,000 bond ready to file with your HELC license application or renewal. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the Commission insists.
What it is and who needs it.
What the bond actually guarantees
The District licenses postsecondary educational institutions through the Higher Education Licensure Commission (HELC), and the enabling act lets the Mayor condition a license on a surety bond. The bond is a student-protection guarantee — it stands behind tuition and refunds if a school breaches its contract with students, declares bankruptcy, or otherwise ends its program without adequate refunds.
It's a three-party arrangement: the school (the principal), the surety carrier, and the District together with students (the protected parties). If a licensed institution closes or fails to refund tuition, harmed students can recover against the institution bond.
The institution bond and the agent bond are separate. This $50,000 bond covers the institution itself; each enrollment agent or sales representative files a separate $3,000 bond. The statute caps the institution amount and lets the Commission waive the surety requirement for a financially sound nonprofit licensed for five consecutive years — confirm your required amount with HELC.
You need this bond if you're
One application, issued instantly.
These are the actual underwriting fields, including a quick soft credit check that may apply. Submit once and your bond is issued when you pay.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other District of Columbia bonds.
The Commission is waiting on one document.
$500 flat, short application, bond issued when you pay. Free until issued.