TN postsecondary school bonds.
$300. Five minutes.
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 $300 — a flat 3%, the same for every 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 check 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.
The whole pricing page.
$10,000 in-state bond × 3% = $300, one-time per term. Out-of-state is $20,000 (premium $600). Multi-year if you want it.
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 $300 premium rather than tying up the full amount in cash.
You need this bond if you're
Five minutes. The whole thing.
These are the actual issuing fields — no credit check section, because this bond doesn't have one.
Start the application →Common questions.
If yours isn't here, the bond team can usually answer within the hour.
How much is the Tennessee postsecondary institution bond? +
Do I pay the $10,000? +
Can I post cash instead? +
Is there a credit check? +
When does it renew? +
Other New York bonds.
Your THEC authorization is waiting on one document.
$300 flat for the in-state bond, five-minute application, often issued in the same sitting. Free until issued.