New Mexico Statutes Chapter 21. State and Private Education Institutions § 21-23-3. Definitions

A. “career school” means a private post-secondary educational institution offering a formal educational curriculum in New Mexico for a fee to members of the general public beyond compulsory school age, terminating in a certificate, diploma, associate degree or comparable confirmation of completion of the curriculum;

B. “college” or “university” means a private post-secondary educational institution offering a formal educational curriculum in New Mexico for a fee to members of the general public beyond compulsory school age, terminating in a baccalaureate, master's or doctoral degree or comparable confirmation of completion of the curriculum;

C. “department” means the higher education department;

D. “enrollment agreement” means an agreement, instrument or note executed before a person begins coursework that creates a binding obligation between the person and the post-secondary educational institution;

E. “license” means a written acknowledgment by the department that a career school or nonregionally accredited college or university has met the requirements of the department for offering a formal educational curriculum within New Mexico;

F. “post-secondary educational institution” includes an academic, vocational, technical, business, professional or other school, college or university or other organization or person offering or purporting to offer courses, instruction, training or education from a physical site in New Mexico, through distance education, correspondence or in person;

G. “private post-secondary educational institution” means a nonpublicly funded post-secondary educational institution that offers post-secondary education for a fee to members of the general public;

H. “prospective student” means a person who demonstrates interest in signing an enrollment agreement with a post-secondary educational institution; and

I. “registration” means a written acknowledgment by the department that a regionally accredited college or university has filed pertinent curriculum and enrollment information, as required by the department, and is authorized to operate a private post-secondary educational institution.