TN postsecondary school bonds.
$100 flat.
Tennessee authorizes postsecondary schools through the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC), and conditions authorization on a surety bond. An in-state institution posts $10,000; an out-of-state institution posts $20,000. Our premium on the $10,000 bond is $100 — the price you see is the checkout price, the same for every in-state school.
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Three steps. One sitting.
The authorization bond is a license formality. Here is the entire process:
Apply online
Business details and an effective date. No financials and no credit section on this bond.
Pay & e-sign
Fixed-amount license bonds like this issue right after purchase in most cases. At most, 1–2 business days.
File with THEC
Your executed bond arrives by email, ready to file with your THEC authorization application. Wet-ink original mailed on request.
What it is and who needs it.
What the authorization bond actually guarantees
Tennessee's Postsecondary Education Authorization Act of 1974 (Tenn. Code Ann. Title 49, Chapter 7, Part 20) requires non-exempt postsecondary schools to be authorized by THEC, through its Division of Postsecondary School Authorization. Authorization is conditioned on a surety bond filed by the institution.
The bond is a student-protection guarantee: its penal sum indemnifies any student, guardian, or class that suffers loss or damage if the institution violates the authorization act — for example, by closing mid-program. An in-state institution posts $10,000 and an out-of-state institution posts $20,000.
A cash surety bond on deposit at a Tennessee federally insured bank or savings and loan, payable on demand by the Commission, may be filed instead of the corporate surety bond, subject to THEC approval. Most schools choose the surety bond — you pay the $100 premium rather than tying up the full amount in cash.
You need this bond if you're
One application, issued instantly.
These are the actual issuing fields — no credit section, because this bond's application doesn't collect one.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Tennessee bonds.
Your THEC authorization is waiting on one document.
$100 flat for the in-state bond, no credit review, often issued in the same sitting. Free until issued.