A licensed DC postsecondary institution posts a surety bond with the Higher Education Licensure Commission (HELC) to protect student tuition. HELC sets the amount from your enrollment and net tuition, so it varies by school. We issue it at a flat 3% — enter the figure HELC requires and the premium updates.
















No long underwriting queue for the standard school bond — enter your amount, pay, and file with HELC. Here is the whole thing:
Your institution’s details, the bond amount HELC required, and the effective date — that is the entire application.
No credit check — the executed bond is generated once you pay. Larger amounts may get a quick review.
Submit the executed bond with your HELC license application or renewal. Wet-ink originals mailed on request.
Bond amount × 3% = your premium, one-time, $275 minimum. Enter the figure HELC set and the premium updates.
The District licenses degree-granting and non-degree postsecondary schools through the Higher Education Licensure Commission (HELC) under D.C. Code Title 38, Chapter 13 (the Education Licensure Commission Act). A licensed school posts a surety bond as a student-protection guarantee.
The bond stands behind the tuition students have paid — if a school closes or fails to deliver the instruction it sold, students can recover against the bond. HELC sets the amount on a tiered schedule driven by enrollment and annual net tuition, using whichever is higher; non-degree schools commonly land between $5,000 and $20,000, while larger degree-granting institutions can be required to post substantially more.
It is a three-party arrangement: the school (the principal), the surety carrier, and the District (the obligee), with students as the protected parties. It is not insurance for the school — if the surety pays a claim, the school repays the surety. Enter the figure on your HELC notice and we’ll issue it at a flat 3% with no credit check.
Submit the application with the bond amount HELC set — the executed bond is generated, ready to file.
Start the application →If yours isn't here, the bond team can usually answer within the hour.
Five-minute application, flat 3%, $275 minimum. Enter the amount HELC set and file the same day.