House members Wednesday signed off on Senate Bill 18, which will require such private schools to post bonds to cover tuition payments if they go bankrupt or if the owners take off with students' cash. The bill already has passed the Senate and now goes to Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. for his signature.

In the latest example of the problem, the Academy of Nursing owes current and former students hundreds of thousands of dollars in prepaid tuition. Under Bountiful GOP Sen. Dan Eastman's bill, schools such as the Academy would be required to disclose if any of the school's owners have a criminal background. And such "proprietary postsecondary schools" would have to post a bond to cover any outstanding debts - including student tuition.

"I've long thought that we must be lax in oversight over these schools," said Rep. Carol Moss, D-Holladay.

- Rebecca Walsh