The ​Kentucky Commission for Proprietary Education was established by action of the 2012 Kentucky General Assembly; it replaced the Board of Proprietary Education.

The commission is charged with licensing and ​regulating all proprietary schools, doing business in Kentucky, other than those that offer a four-year bachelor’s degree. In addition, it administers the Student Protection Fund which reimburses eligible students in the event a school closes, loses its accreditation or discontinues a program. The work of the commission is funded entirely through fees paid by licensed ​institutions.​