▁Commission ▁on ▁High er ▁Education ▁and ▁acc red iting ▁organizations , ▁as ▁was ▁the ▁case ▁of ▁U rios ▁College ▁which ▁is ▁now ▁the ▁Fr . ▁Sat urn ino ▁U rios ▁University . ▁For ▁state ▁colleg es , ▁it ▁is ▁usually ▁done ▁by ▁a ▁legisl ation ▁by ▁the ▁Congress ▁or ▁Senate . ▁In ▁common ▁usage , ▁" going ▁to ▁college " ▁simply ▁means ▁att ending ▁school ▁for ▁an ▁under grad uate ▁degree , ▁whether ▁it ' s ▁from ▁an ▁institution ▁recognized ▁as ▁a ▁college ▁or ▁a ▁university . ▁ ▁When ▁it ▁comes ▁to ▁referring ▁to ▁the ▁level ▁of ▁education , ▁college ▁is ▁the ▁term ▁more ▁used ▁to ▁be ▁syn onymous ▁to ▁t ert i ary ▁or ▁higher ▁education . ▁A ▁student ▁who ▁is ▁or ▁has ▁studied ▁his / her ▁under grad uate ▁degree ▁at ▁either ▁an ▁institution ▁with ▁college ▁or ▁university ▁in ▁its ▁name ▁is ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁going ▁to ▁or ▁have ▁gone ▁to ▁college . ▁ ▁Portugal ▁ ▁Pres ently ▁in ▁Portugal , ▁the ▁term ▁col ég io ▁( col lege ) ▁is ▁normally ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁generic ▁reference ▁to ▁a ▁private ▁( non - g overn ment ) ▁school ▁that ▁provides ▁from ▁basic ▁to ▁secondary ▁education . ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁private ▁schools ▁include ▁the ▁term ▁col ég io ▁in ▁their ▁name . ▁Some ▁special ▁public ▁schools ▁– ▁usually ▁of ▁the ▁board ing ▁school ▁type ▁– ▁also ▁include ▁the ▁term ▁in ▁their ▁name , ▁with ▁a ▁notable ▁example ▁being ▁the ▁Col ég io ▁Mil itar ▁( Mil it ary ▁College ). ▁The ▁term