Some states have lax standards that allow almost anyone to operate a college, but Oregon has strong state laws that provide penalties for people operating degree mills. Nevertheless, some people try to start degree mills in Oregon. The Oregon Office of Degree Authorization, a unit of the Oregon Student Assistance Commission, exists in part to find and stop such activities. Contact the Oregon Office of Degree Authorization , which will investigate the situation and either stop the degree mill from operating or, if the institution is legitimate and has, through an oversight, not gone through the state approval process, assist the institution to comply with Oregon law. Not all unaccredited colleges are necessarily degree mills in the traditional sense of the term.
Some unaccredited colleges provide legitimate academic work.
However, unless these colleges are approved by ODA, degrees from them cannot be used in Oregon. The reason is that state laws under which such institutions are approved vary markedly from state to state. Some states have high standards, some states have lax standards or no enforcement capability. Hawaii, Montana and South Dakota do not conduct any oversight at all of private colleges or universities.