Responses Last Confirmed:

Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education

Agency Information

Guide Topics

Agency Contact

Tyler Eggen
907-465-6741
tyler.eggen@alaska.gov

Additional Contact

Secretary of State Contact

Nancy Dahlstrom
907-465-3520
lt.governor@alaska.gov
Topic

1: Important Agency Information to Note

a.
Provide any important information about your agency.

Recently, ACPE has updated its regulations, which streamline authorization processes, align fees with services, and provide greater oversight of institutional financial health, student consumer protection, and monitoring of changes.

Topic

2: Types of Educational Providers Authorized

a.
Indicate the types of institutions that your agency authorizes. Please provide a short explanation of any ambiguity in the comment section below.

____    Public, in-state degree granting institutions
_X__    Public, out-of-state degree granting institutions        
_X__    Private, in-state, not-for-profit degree granting institutions 
_X__    Private, out-of-state, not-for-profit degree granting institutions    
_X__    Private, in-state, for-profit degree granting institutions
_X__    Private, out-of-state, for-profit degree granting institutions
____    Public, in-state, non-degree granting institutions
_X__    Public, out-of-state, non-degree granting institutions
_X__    Non-degree, not-for profit institutions
_X__    Non-degree, for-profit institutions
____    Religious institutions
____    Tribally-controlled institutions
____    Federal Institutions
____    Municipal institutions

b.
Does your agency authorize specific academic programs offered by institutions, only institutions themselves, or both?

____ Institution   _____ Program   _X__ Both

c.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

3: Accreditation

a.
Is accreditation required for an institution to be authorized in your state?

No

b.
If yes, please check all that apply as appropriate.

Accreditation Required for:
_X__ Public, out-of-state degree granting institutions
_X__ Private, in-state, not-for-profit degree granting institutions
____ Private, out-of-state, not-for-profit degree granting institutions
____ Private, in-state, for-profit degree granting institutions
____ Private, out-of-state, for-profit degree granting institutions
____ Public, in-state, non-degree granting institutions
____ Public, out-of-state, non-degree granting institutions
____ Non-degree, not-for profit institutions
____ Non-degree, for-profit institutions
____ Religious institutions
____ Tribally-controlled institutions
____ Federal Institutions
____ Municipal institutions

c.
Clarifying comments:

Accreditation is required to offer degrees but ACPE also regulates non-degree granting schools

Topic

4: Exemptions

a.
Are certain institutions or programs exempt by law or policy from your state authorization requirements?

Yes

b.
If yes, for what types of institutions? Which types of programs?

Please see web link below for types of institutions and programs.

c.
Web link for exemptions.

https://acpe.alaska.gov/IA/Exempt

d.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

5: Authorization of Distance Education

a.
Does your agency require purely online programs offered by out-of-state institutions to be authorized without regard to physical presence?

Must be SARA participant or apply for Exemption from Authorization for online programs not offered in state.

b.
If not, does your agency determine whether an institution must be authorized based on a physical presence (“operating”) standard?

n/a

c.
Does your agency require correspondence study programs to be authorized without regard to physical presence?

No

d.
Clarifying comments:

Link to Online/Distance Education (Non-SARA) website: https://acpe.alaska.gov/IA/OnlineExempt

Topic

6: Physical Presence Policy

a.
If your agency uses a physical presence standard, how does your agency define physical presence?

Physical presence is defined as the presence within the state of paid staff or faculty, or a facility or address; in this paragraph, "faculty" and "staff" does not include site supervisors or mentors for local internships or practica, or adjunct personnel; staff or faculty residing within the state but working from a location other than the facility of a postsecondary educational institution does not constitute a physical presence.

b.
Web link for physical presence definition.

https://acpe.alaska.gov/IA/OnlineExempt

c.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

7: Student Complaints - SARA Participating Institutions

a.
Please describe the process for handling complaints about SARA participating Institutions.

https://nc-sara.org/sara-policy-manual

b.
Is the process handled all within your agency or do you divide consumer protection and student complaint duties dependent on the type of institution (Public, Private, Technical, etc.)?

Within the agency

c.
Web link for student complaints – SARA participating institutions.

https://acpe.alaska.gov/ConsumerProtection

d.
Who is the contact person at your agency for receiving complaints?

Contact Name: Tyler Eggen
Title: Institutional Authorization Program Coordinator
Agency: Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education
Address: PO Box 110505 Juneau, AK 99811
Email: eed.acpe-ia@alaska.gov
Phone: 907-564-6741
URL: www.acpe.alaska.gov/ia

e.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

8: Student Complaints - Non-SARA Participating Institutions

a.
Please describe the process for handling complaints about out-of-state postsecondary institutions or programs?

Must complete institutional grievance policy steps prior to complaint with the Commission.

b.
Is the process handled all within your agency or do you divide consumer protection and student complaint duties dependent on the type of institution (Public, Private, Technical, etc.)?

Handled all the same.

c.
Does this complaint process extend to institutions not authorized by the agency that may enroll residents of the state (such as explicitly distance education programs with no physical presence or exempt institutions)?

Yes, as statutorily defined.

d.
Who is the contact person at your agency for receiving complaints?

Contact Name: Tyler Eggen
Title: Institutional Authorization Program Coordinator
Agency: Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education
Address: PO Box 110505 Juneau, AK 99811
Email: eed.acpe-ia@alaska.gov
Phone: 907-564-6741
URL: www.acpe.alaska.gov/ia

e.
Web link for the complaint form.

https://acpe.alaska.gov/ConsumerProtection

f.
Clarifying comments:

We direct students to our FAQ, which has resulted in less calls and emails with preliminary questions.

Topic

9: Surety Bonds

a.
Does your state require a Surety Bond for authorized out-of-state institutions?

No

b.
Web link for surety bonds.

No response provided

c.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

10: Tuition Refund Policy

a.
Does your state have a Tuition Refund Policy Requirement?

Yes

b.
If yes, for what types of institutions?

All institutions but degree granting institutions can request a waiver.

c.
Web link for tuition refund policy.

https://www.akleg.gov/basis/aac.asp#20.17.115

d.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

11: Student Tuition Recovery Fund

a.
Does your state have a Student Tuition Recovery Fund (or similar fund for school closure)?

No

b.
If yes, for what types of institutions?

No response provided

c.
Web link for student tuition recovery fund.

No response provided

d.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

12: Reporting

a.
What kinds of information or data must an institution report to your agency as a condition for continued out-of-state authorization?

None at this time.

b.
How frequently do institutions report data?

n/a

c.
Is this information published or shared publicly?

n/a

d.
Web link for reporting.

No response provided

e.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

13: Enforcement

a.
What are possible consequences of institutional non-compliance?

No response provided

b.
Web link for enforcement information.

No response provided

c.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

14: Application Process

a.
Please provide a short description of the application process to obtain state authorization.

See https://acpe.alaska.gov/IA/Initial

b.
Web link for application.

https://acpe.alaska.gov/IA/ApplicationsDeadlinesFees

c.
Clarifying comments:

Webpage has all fees and applications.

Topic

15: Fees Associated with Authorization

a.
Is there an application fee associated with the authorization process?

Yes

b.
If yes, what is the fee or fee schedule?

$2,750 for in state initial authorization, up to 3 programs. $750 per additional program, $5,000 max.

c.
Web link for fee information.

https://acpe.alaska.gov/IA/ApplicationsDeadlinesFees

d.
Clarifying comments:

Webpage has all fees and applications.

Topic

16: Records Retention

a.
When a school closes, what is the process your state uses to ensure that transcripts/records are kept available?

ACPE is the repository for closed school records for Alaska based schools

b.
From what agency do students request their transcripts/records from a closed school?
c.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

17: Additional Information

a.
Is there anything else about the authorization process in your state that we and others ought to know about?
No response provided