University charter

University charter is a charter given by provincial, state, regional, and sometimes national governments to legitimize the university's existence.

In most Canadian provinces university charters are in the form of Acts (e.g. York University Act). "The Royal Military College of Canada Degrees Act" of 1959 enables the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario to offer degrees in Arts, Science, and Engineering at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

In the United States, American University, Gallaudet University, Georgetown University, Howard University, and George Washington University are the only congressionally chartered universities.

The United States service (military) academies are not chartered as they are agencies of the federal government itself.

Other universities are chartered by the colonial governments or by state legislatures.

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