Washington degree-granting bonds.
From $100.
A degree-granting institution authorized to operate in Washington files a surety bond with the Student Achievement Council under RCW 28B.85.070. The Council sets the amount — often $50,000 per site for initial authorization — pricing starts from $100, and pricing runs 0.775% of the bond amount, $100 minimum.
Trusted by industry leaders
How much does a Washington degree-granting bond cost?
0.775% of the bond amount, from $100. Enter your amount in the calculator for the exact price.
Three steps. One sitting.
No underwriting queue for the standard institution bond — enter your amount, pay, and file with the Council. Here is the whole thing:
Apply online
Your institution details, the bond amount the Council set, and the effective date — that is the application.
Issued on the spot
Most applications approve instantly, and no waiting — the executed bond is generated as soon as you pay. Larger amounts may get a quick review, and
File with the Student Achievement Council
Submit the executed bond with your authorization file. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the Council insists on them.
What it is and who needs it.
What the institution bond actually covers
Washington's Student Achievement Council authorizes degree-granting institutions to operate under the Degree-Granting Institutions Act (chapter 28B.85 RCW). RCW 28B.85.070 lets the Council require an institution to keep an approved surety bond on file as a condition of authorization.
The bond is a student-protection guarantee: it backs the institution's obligations to its students so that, if the school closes or fails to deliver the education it sold, harmed students can recover against the bond — for example to refund tuition or fund teach-outs.
The Council sets the amount; the regulations (chapter 250-61 WAC) commonly call for $50,000 per site at initial standard authorization, and the Council can set a different figure. An institution may also deposit cash or other acceptable security in lieu of a bond. Enter the amount the Council set to start the application; pricing starts from $100, and no credit check up to $25,000.
You need this bond if you are
Claims, renewal, filing, and what sets the price.
If a claim is made
A claim comes from the party the bond protects, the obligee named on the form, when the duty the bond guarantees is not met.
The surety investigates and pays a valid claim, up to the bond amount. You then repay the surety: a surety bond is a guarantee of your performance, not insurance for you.
Renewal and term
The premium covers a one-year term from the effective date you choose.
Renew before the expiry date to keep the bond in force: the license, permit or contract it backs expects continuous coverage.
How to file it
File with the Student Achievement Council. Submit the executed bond with your authorization file. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the Council insists on them.
What sets the price
The premium is 0.775% of the bond amount, $100 minimum: the amount the obligee sets moves the price, not your business profile.
No credit check up to $25,000. Above that, the carrier may run a soft pull, which never affects your score.
Where a check runs, it decides approval; the rate is the same for everyone approved.
One application, issued on the spot.
Submit the application with the bond amount the Council set — the executed bond is generated instantly, ready to file.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Washington bonds.
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
Institution bond, issued today.
Pricing from $100. Enter the amount the Council required and file the same day.