SARA Institution
SOWELA Accreditation
Complaint Process
State Authorization — An Introduction
On October 29, 2010, the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) released new “program integrity” regulations. One of the regulations focused on the need for institutions offering distance or correspondence education to acquire authorization from any state in which it “operates.” This authorization is required to maintain eligibility for students of that state to receive federal financial aid. Institutions have until July 1, 2014, to have obtained the appropriate approvals. Meanwhile, institutions are required to demonstrate a ‘good faith’ effort to comply in each state in which it serves students.
State regulations predate the federal regulation and remain in effect. States with regulations expect that institutions already be in compliance with their regulations before serving any students in their state.
The map below shows where SOWELA Technical Community College is authorized to offer online courses and online degree programs. SOWELA is authorized to offer online courses and degree programs in every US state with the exception of California.
SARA Licensure Disclosure
If you are an out-of-state student who is considering an online academic program that leads to professional licensure, we advise you to contact the appropriate licensing agency in your state before beginning your academic program.
For licensing board contact information, see below: