Responses Last Confirmed:

Maine Department of Higher Education

Agency Information

Guide Topics

Agency Contact

Angel Martinez Laredo
207-624-6846
angel.loredo@maine.gov

Additional Contact

Jason Libby
207-624-6856
jason.libby@maine.gov

Secretary of State Contact

Matt Dunlap
207-626-8400
sos.office@maine.gov
Topic

1: Important Agency Information to Note

a.
Provide any important information about your agency.

No response provided

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.

__X_    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
__X_    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?

No response provided

____ Institution   _____ Program   _____ 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.

No response provided

Accreditation Required for:
____ Public, out-of-state degree granting institutions
____ 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:

No response provided

Topic

4: Exemptions

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

Yes, Religious in Chapter 149

http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/rules/05/chaps05.htm

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

No response provided

c.
Web link for exemptions.

No response provided

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?

No

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

Yes

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

Yes

d.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

6: Physical Presence Policy

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

No response provided

b.
Web link for physical presence definition.

No response provided

c.
Clarifying comments:

Those are proprietary non-degree

Topic

7: Student Complaints - SARA Participating Institutions

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

They are listed on the website.

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.)?

Same process as above and same contact person.

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

No response provided

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

No response provided

Contact Name
Title
Agency
Address
Email
Phone
URL
 

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?

The only complaints we hear are procedural.

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.
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)?

All SARA in-state and out-of-state postsecondary institutions are used.

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

Contact Name:  Ángel Martínez Loredo

Title:  Director of Higher Education and Educator Support Services

Agency:  Maine Department of Education

Address:  23 State House Station, Augusta, Maine

Email:  angel.loredo@maine.gov

Phone:  207-624-6846

URL: 

 

e.
Web link for the complaint form.

A letter must be submitted with proper information.

f.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

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, All

b.
If yes, for what types of institutions?

No response provided

c.
Web link for tuition refund policy.

No response provided

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 response provided

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?

They are identified on our website

b.
How frequently do institutions report data?

Yearly

c.
Is this information published or shared publicly?

No

d.
Web link for reporting.

https://www.maine.gov/doe/learning/highered/degrees

e.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

13: Enforcement

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

We do not.

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.

No response provided

b.
Web link for application.

https://www.maine.gov/doe/learning/highered/online

c.
Clarifying comments:

Outside universities must take our online survey.

Topic

15: Fees Associated with Authorization

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

No response provided

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

No response provided

c.
Web link for fee information.

No response provided

d.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

16: Records Retention

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

The State keeps the records.

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

Agency Name: Maine Department of Education

Contact Person:  Jason Libby              

Contact Phone:  207-624-6856

Contact Address:  23 State House Station, Augusta, ME

Contact Email:  Jason.Libby@maine.gov

Contact web site: 

 

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?

None.