National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements | NC-SARA

The National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) is a nonprofit organization that coordinates the implementation of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA) across the U.S. Its mission is to make it easier for institutions to offer online education across state lines while ensuring student protections and regulatory oversight.

Pennsylvania College of Technology (PCT) is a participant of SARA, allowing us to provide distance education programs to students in 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Although California is not a SARA participant, California does not regulate non-profit higher education; we are able to provide distance education to students who are in that state with the caveat that students and institutions are not bound to SARA regulations.

SARA is overseen by NC-SARA and is administered by the four regional higher education compacts, MHEC, NEBHE, SREB and WICHE. Penn College is affiliated with the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB).

Pennsylvania College of Technology (PCT) is committed to resolving student grievances, complaints, and concerns in a timely, fair, and respectful manner, in accordance with established College policies and procedures. Every student deserves a positive and supportive educational experience. Students also have the right to file a complaint or grievance. Institutions must ensure that all student concerns are addressed fairly and resolved promptly.

Consumer protection issues under SARA include, but are not limited to:

• Veracity of recruitment and marketing materials.
• Accuracy of job placement data.
• Accuracy of information about tuition, fees, and financial aid.
• Complete and accurate admission requirements for courses and programs.
• Accuracy of information about the institution’s accreditation and/or any programmatic/specialized accreditation held by the institution’s programs.
• Accuracy of information about whether coursework meets any relevant professional licensing requirements or the requirements of specialized accrediting agencies.
• Accuracy of information about whether the institution’s coursework will transfer to other institutions.
• Operation of distance education programs consistent with practices expected by institutional accreditors (and, if applicable, programmatic/specialized accreditors) and/or the C-RAC Guidelines for distance education.

In compliance with U.S. Department of Education (ED) rules, an institution offering distance education must provide enrolled and prospective students with information for filing complaints. Please note, this process does not include complaints related to grades or student conduct violations, both of which are to be fully addressed via campus policies and procedures, not through the NC-SARA complaint resolution process.

Additional information can be found here: SARA Student Complaints.

Students who have exhausted all efforts to satisfactorily resolve a complaint may seek further guidance in the case of violations of state law:

California students: After exhausting the procedures made available by Pennsylvania College of Technology, distance education students who are located in California may file a consumer complaint with the California Department of Consumer Affairs for issues related to consumer protection issues identified above. 

While PCT is approved to offer many programs that may lead to licensure/certification in Pennsylvania, these same programs may not fully meet the educational requirements for licensure/certification in other states. Each state has different standards for occupations that require a professional license or certification, and educational prerequisites may vary based upon the state.

Institutions must confirm that a distance education program meets the educational requirements for a license or certification in the student's state of residence before enrolling the student in that program. These regulations apply to students who enroll in professional licensure programs on or after July 1, 2024. (This isn’t a SARA rule but instead a U.S. Dept of Education rule that still affects SARA-participating institutions.)

Students living or planning to live outside Pennsylvania should also consult the specific state's licensing board where you plan to work to understand its requirements for programs leading to a professional license or certification in that location.

License Finder at CareerOneStop sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration: https://www.careeronestop.org/toolkit/training/find-licenses.aspx.

As a participating institution in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA), we are authorized to offer distance education and experiential learning opportunities—including internships, clinical placements, and student teaching—across state lines in other SARA member states without seeking individual authorization from each state.

The institution and the student are responsible for ensuring that an internship, externship, preceptorship or practicum placement complies with all legal requirements specific to the field of study and all professional licensing and certification standards. If your internship is part of a program that leads to professional licensure in another state, you are strongly encouraged to consult the appropriate state licensing board to verify eligibility and ensure that the internship experience complies with local requirements.