Note: This article applies to the United States. While some of the generalizations apply elsewhere, it is recommended that you do further research that matches your own jurisdiction's requirements.
Determining the Purpose of the College
Determine your niche and create a mission statement. Reflect on your reasons for starting the college. What is missing from the current educational institutions in your area (or even worldwide) that you feel you can add or improve upon? What do you have to offer in your educational philosophy, curricular focus and teaching methodologies? Examine existing colleges which are like the one you'd like to start. What do they offer now that you also want to offer? In what ways would you tailor your offerings to outsell those of existing colleges? Fee-paying students and their sponsors will be wanting to understand fully what sets your curriculum apart from others. Be careful if you're seeking to undercut other colleges. This may seem like a reasonable idea until you realize just how expensive it can be to provide education. Unless you're flush with funds, steer clear of stating this as a prime reason for starting a college.
Set out solid reasons for your college. Your mission statement should include your reasons for starting the college, the educational approach and curriculum and your goals. Pass your mission statement reasons around friends and family to gauge their thoughts and ideas. Ask them if you have made your mission clear enough for them. Ask them to tell you if it stands out as a college they'd like to go to, or send their children to. Use their feedback to ensure both clarity of mission and to put together your own verbal pitch to explain the college to people you want to get advice from and to promote the college to potential funders.
Decide whether your college will have real premises or will be virtual only. You can offer virtual courses from real premises as well if you wish to combine both options. Bear in mind the following: Real premises can be expensive to operate, especially when you're starting up. The premises need to be able to fit the amount of students you think will attend courses, and all safety, health, insurance and other regulatory issues must be fully covered off. The location is also important––students prefer safe areas that they can walk and cycle to and from, which can often mean finding a location in a more expensive area. Do lots of research before deciding on a suitable location. Virtual courses only is a good option when you're just starting up because the overheads are lower. That said, you will need good technical expertise (or a good IT team), excellent security and privacy protocols, plenty of server space and contacts for the students 24/7 to resolve access and similar problems. Design of courses will require knowledge of what works and what doesn't work and you won't have much leeway for error in an age where people expect technology to work properly and seamlessly from the outset.
Getting Advice and Funding
Seek advice from professionals with experience in starting a college. Find experts that can help in business, finance and education. Meet with founders of other colleges for specific guidance and suggestions on how to handle roadblocks that you will come across.
Seek out funding options to determine if you will be able to proceed with the process. If you will be setting up a non-profit college, look for foundations or individuals that would be interested in donating to support a college. Make presentations to encourage community support. Research grant options for starting your college. These will vary depending on your region and jurisdiction, so do a wide search to try to capture as many options as possible. Naturally, look for people who are likely to find your educational philosophy aligning with their own thinking about the purpose of education. Check with local and state governmental representatives to see if there is an interest in supporting a new college due to economic and cultural benefits to the region. Look into options such as grants and loans if you will be operating as a for-profit institution.
Sorting Out the Regulatory and Founding Requirements
Research your state's educational institution requirements. Start with your state Department of Education. You will most likely be required to apply for a license to operate. You may be approved with a provisional license to get your college started and then be required to submit additional information for a final or ongoing approval. Once you have researched the license requirements for your state, you will be able to determine at what point you should submit the application for approval to operate a college.
Form your founding committees. You can form a founding committee consisting of fellow participants and supporters for advice and information. This committee should consist of people with a variety of expertise in areas such as law, education and business. You will need to recruit a formal board of trustees if you will be operating as a non-profit organization.
Incorporate and file for non-profit status. You will file your business entity status with your state, usually through the Secretary of the State. You can make a non-profit 501(c)(3) status election through the IRS by going to www.IRS.gov.
Finalize your funding options. Secure your loans, grants or donations. Hold fundraising events to gather additional support.
Develop your infrastructure. Designing your policies and procedures will be guided, in large part, by the regulations of your state and the department that oversees the formation of colleges and institutions of higher learning. This is why the earlier research step was so important. Your infrastructure includes operational, educational, curricular, business, legal, hiring, training, admissions and enrollment procedures. Determine your location. Will your college be virtual, have a physical location or both? Decide on the degrees and classes that will be offered. Some of this will have been determined by your state requirements. Develop a curriculum for your college based on the requirements of your state for granting degrees. Begin networking with and interviewing potential faculty and hiring key staff members. You will be able to hire faculty based on your enrollment, but you will need to have a pool of qualified teachers to draw from.
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