New Hampshire Higher Education Commissioner

The New Hampshire Higher Education Commissioner regulates institutions of higher education in the state, including private postsecondary career schools, and administers state financial aid programs, among other duties. HISTORY 1963 - NH Coordinating Board of Advanced Education and Accreditation was established - NH Legislatures response to proliferation of newly formed institutions - to ensure protection of students. The NH Legislature has power to authorize institutions to grant degrees. 1973 - NH Postsecondary Education Commission was established and became a successor agency for both the Coordinating Board of Advanced Education and Accreditation and the Higher Education Facilities Commission. This was in response to the Federal 1202 Commission legislation calling for states to charge a Commission with responsibility for accepting and disbursing federal funds for a variety of needs, including studies and planning. 1976 - First full-time executive director hired. Purpose of Commission, as stated in RSA 188-D:1, "To consolidate and improve the role of the State of N.H. in planning for the most effective use of its resources in providing adequate postsecondary education, including vocational education, for its citizens and to facilitate securing for the students and educational institutions of the state benefits provided by the congress...." 1983 - Commission was granted authority to specify the degrees an institution may grant - N.H. Legislature retained authority to determine whether or not an institution is eligible to grant degrees. 1985 - Veterans State Approvals and Career School Licensing were moved under the jurisdiction of the Postsecondary Education Commission. 2011 - The Postsecondary Education Commission became the Higher Education Commission under the Division of Higher Education within the NH Department of Education. 2018 - The Division of Higher Education became the Division of Educator Support and Higher Education, combining the Bureau of Credentialing (Professional Standards Board), the Council for Teacher Education, and the Higher Education Commission.