3332-1-12. Advertising, promotional literature and publicity

(A) Any advertisement or promotional literature written or used by a school holding a certificate of registration with the board must carry the name, address, and registration number as listed on its certificate of registration.

(B) No school or its agents shall advertise or imply that the school is "recommended" or "endorsed" by the board. If reference is made to the certificate of registration issued by the board, this official reference shall only read, "approved by the state board of career colleges and schools."

(C) Any advertisement or piece of promotional literature written or used by a school holding a certificate of registration with the board must be completely truthful and must be prepared and presented in such a manner as to avoid leaving any false, misleading or exaggerated impressions with respect to the school, its personnel, its courses and services, or the occupational opportunities for its graduates.

(D) Schools or representatives shall not use a picture, photograph, cut, engraving, or illustration in bulletins, sales literature, web pages or other promotional material, in such a manner as to convey a false impression.

(E) A guarantee of placement for graduates must not be promised or implied by any school, agent, or representative thereof. No school in its advertising or through its representatives or agents shall guarantee or imply the guarantee of employment before enrollment, during the pursuance of the program, or after the program is completed.

(F) No school shall guarantee any certain wage, or imply earnings greater than the prevailing wage earned by the school's graduates as documented by the school's placement records. For new programs that have no current graduates, information provided to students about potential wages should be corroborated by verifiable documentation concerning entry level wages in the field of study.

(G) No owner, partner, officer, employee, agent, or other person acting on behalf of any school shall make any fraudulent statement, misrepresentation, or misleading statement of fact.

(H) Schools using classified columns of newspapers or other employment related publications, including web sites or internet search engines, to procure students must use only such classifications that are headed by "education," "schools," "instruction", or other categories that include advertisements for schools and programs. "Help wanted," "employment," or " job opportunities," classifications that are specifically directed at employment opportunities may be used only to procure employees for the school.

(I) No school may advertise that it is endorsed by, or partners with, business establishments, manufacturers, organizations or individuals engaged in the line of work for which it gives training, until the school has obtained written evidence of this endorsement and the written evidence must be kept on file for inspection by the board.

(J) No school may claim accreditation from an accrediting agency through any of its advertising, promotional material, or during the solicitation process unless the accrediting agency is currently recognized as an accrediting agency by the United States department of education or has otherwise been approved in writing by the board.

(K) Schools that contract with outside service providers that provide marketing or advertising services shall be responsible for assuring that the contract service providers adhere to the standards set forth in agency 3332 of the Adminsitrative Code. Schools shall be subject to discipliary action in accordance with Chapter 3332. of the Revised Code for any acts or omissions committed by contract service providers that violate any provision of agency 3332 of the Administrative Code.

Effective: 3/2/2020
Five Year Review (FYR) Dates: 10/16/2019 and 02/28/2025
Promulgated Under: 119.03
Statutory Authority: 3332.031
Rule Amplifies: 3332.031
Prior Effective Dates: 12/01/1970, 04/16/1990 (Emer.), 07/12/1990, 07/01/1991, 10/14/1994, 04/02/1999, 06/01/2005, 11/01/2011, 05/01/2014, 01/04/2016