Agency Information

Guide Topics

Agency Contact

Tivoli Sharp
360-485-1080
TivoliS@wsac.wa.gov

Additional Contact

Hannah Deck
360-485-1199
HannahD@wsac.wa.gov

Sam Loftin
360-485-1078
SamL@wsac.wa.gov

Secretary of State Contact

Steve Hobbs
360-902-4151
secretaryofstate@sos.wa.gov

Topic 1: Important Agency Information to Note

Provide important web links:

What types of institutions are subject to this agency’s authority? Indicate the types of institutions that your agency authorizes.

  • Note: Some agencies may refer to out-of-state public institutions as “private colleges” in their law.  If this is the case for your agency, please select “public, out-of-state degree granting institutions” for purposes of this Guide so that the out-of-state public institution will find appropriate information.
  • Note: If your agency is a coordinating board, your agency may have one division with some authority such as program approval over in-state public institutions that are established per statute, which is structured differently than another division of your agency with state authorization authority over non-public institutions that they “license” pursuant to different statute(s).

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

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

  • For example, an agency may require an institution apply for licensure for institutional approval and also require the institution to apply for specific program(s) approval.

_____ Institution

_X__ Program

_____ Both

Clarifying comments:

Authorization is program and site specific.

We regulate degree-granting institutions only. Non-degree programs are regulated by different state agencies. We do not differentiate between for-profit and not-for-profit in our review process. We do not grant authorization to religious institutions, we grant exemptions, however they are the only type of exemption that has a regular reporting requirement at this time.

Topic 2: Authorization of Distance Education

Does your agency require exclusively online offerings offered by out-of-state institutions to be authorized?

  • Meaning as example, the state regulates an out-of-state institution for merely enrolling a student into a distance education program
  • Meaning as example, a solely online program that does not have any internships and practicums

No, but they may need to contribute to the Tuition Recovery Trust Fund if they enroll WA residents.

Clarifying comments

If the online program includes a required field placement component, then field placement authorization is required.

If the correspondence study program includes a required field placement component, then field placement authorization is required.

Topic 3: Accreditation by an Accrediting Agency Recognized by the U.S. Department of Education

Is accreditation by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education required for an institution to be authorized in your state?

Yes

New institutions may submit a plan for accreditation in lieu of being accredited. For more details please see the regulations around accreditation at https://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=250-61-085.

If yes, please check all that apply as appropriate. Accreditation by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education 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

Clarifying comments:

Authorized institutions may seek accreditation from any accrediting agency recognized by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education and WSAC. You can find a list of recognized accreditation agencies on the WSAC website at https://wsac.wa.gov/degree-authorization toward the bottom of the page.

Topic 4: Physical Presence Policy

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

We use “operate” interchangeably with “physical presence”. Per WAC 250-61-050(17): “Operate” means, but is not limited to, the following:

(a) Offering courses for academic credit at any Washington location or via distance learning from a Washington location.

(b) Granting or offering to grant degrees in Washington for credit obtained within or outside the state.

(c) Maintaining or advertising a Washington location, mailing address, or telecommunications number for any purpose other than contact with the institution’s former students for any legitimate purpose related to their previous attendance.

(d) Maintaining or advertising an application for enrollment or a mechanism to collect prospective student data in any advertisement, publication, web site, software application, or other media, if the institution maintains a Washington location.

(e) Advertising, promoting, publicizing, soliciting or recruiting for the institution or its offerings that is targeted specifically at Washington citizens, excluding multi-institutional college fairs.

Web link for physical presence definition.

https://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=250-61-050

Does a virtual clinical / internship trigger the requirement for authorization with your agency?

No response provided

Does a faculty member residing in your state and teaching an online course trigger the requirement for authorization with your agency?

No response provided

Does advertising targeted to residents of your state trigger the requirement for authorization with your agency?

No response provided

Does having an administrative site in your state trigger the requirement for authorization with your agency?

No response provided

Does having a recruiter in your state trigger the requirement for authorization with your agency?

No response provided

Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic 5: Application Process

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

Application review procedures: https://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=250-61-180                                  180

Notes: The minimum comment period is 30 days. A site visit, external consultants, and comment period are not typically required for institutions seeking to advertise/recruit locally in WA or offer field placement components only.

Web link for application.

The application must be requested from WSAC staff, it is not posted online at this time.

Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic 6: Fees Associated with Authorization

Is there an application fee associated with the authorization process?

Yes

If yes, what is the fee or fee schedule?

Initial Standard Authorization: $2,000 plus $1,000 for each degree program

Standard Renewal: $1,000 plus $250 for each degree program

Initial Field Placement Authorization: $2,000

Field Placement Renewal: $1,000

Late Application Fee: $1,000

Web link for fee information.

Fee information is listed in WAC 250-60-170 (https://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=250-61-170)

Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic 7: Surety Bonds

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

Yes

Web link for surety bonds.

This information is found within the application for authorization.

Clarifying comments:

ALL authorized institutions have a surety bond requirement.

Topic 8: Student Tuition Recovery Fund

Does your agency have a Student Tuition Recovery Fund (or similar fund for higher education institution closure)?

Yes

If yes, for what types of institutions?

All authorized non-public institutions and out-of-state 100% online non-SARA participant institutions who enroll WA residents.

Web link for student tuition recovery fund.

https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=250-61-145

Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic 9: Tuition Refund Policy

Does your agency have a Tuition Refund Policy Requirement?

No specific state requirements aside from the institution must develop, publish and abide by their tuition refund policy.

If yes, for what types of institutions?

No response provided

Web link for tuition refund policy.

No response provided

Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic 10: Reporting

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

The following information is required in the initial application and biennially in the renewal application:

  • Administrative Requirements (i.e. application fee, surety bond, etc.)
  • General Institutional Requirements (i.e. contact information, mission statement, accreditation, legal operating status, ownership, administrative officers, etc.)
  • Academic Requirements (i.e. program info, faculty, enrollments, mode of delivery, etc.)
  • Instructional Resources and Support Services (i.e. facilities, library, student services, finances, etc.)
  • Catalog (i.e. institutional policies)

Authorized institutions are required to report annual tuition and fee revenue from authorized activity in order to calculate Tuition Recovery Trust Fund contribution amounts which are invoiced annually for five years.

How frequently do institutions report data?

Biennially, except for annual tuition and fee revenue which are reported annually.

Is this information shared publicly?

Data provided by institutions is subject to public records requests and all authorized institutions are listed on our website.

Web link for reporting.

N/A, applications are submitted via email or hardcopy and annual tuition and fees are reported through a survey sent to institutions’ regulatory contact.

Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic 11: Enforcement

What are possible consequences of institutional non-compliance?

Suspension or withdrawal of authorization: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=28B.85.095

Fines: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=28B.85.100

At-Risk Designation:

https://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=250-61-155

Web link for enforcement information.

No response provided

Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic 12: Student Complaints - Non-SARA Participating Institutions

Please describe the process for handling complaints about non-SARA out-of-state postsecondary institutions or programs? (34 CFR 600.9(a))

WSAC will not investigate student complaints until the student has exhausted the institution’s complaint/appeals process.

Web link for the non-SARA complaint form.

https://wsac.wa.gov/student-complaints

How does your agency handle a non-SARA complaint from a resident of its state that is against an out-of-state institution that the agency does not authorize?

Complaints received for non-authorized institutions will be referred to the institution’s home state authorization agency.

Is the non-SARA 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.)?

  • WSAC handles complaints for all authorized and most 4-year institutions
  • Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board (WTB) handles complaints for all non-degree private vocational schools
  • WA Department of Licensing (DOL) handles complaints for cosmetology schools
  • State Board of Community and Technical College (SBCTC) handles complaints for the 34 public community and technical colleges

The student complaint portal is now live and can be found at https://www.studentcomplaints.wa.gov/hc/en-us. Each agency’s individual complaint page includes a link to the portal.

Who is the contact person or entity for your state for receiving non-SARA student complaints?

Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic 13: Records Retention

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

Requirements for closed school records are outlined in WAC 250-61-160 (https://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=250-61-160)

Which require that schools provide WSAC with the following:

  • Electronic copies of transcripts for all current and past students
  • An account ledger for each student that includes, at a minimum, clear and correct information about student charges, payments, and the source for each payment
  • A plan for the maintenance of student records

In the event it appears to the council that the official records of an institution discontinuing its operations are in danger of being destroyed, secreted, mislaid, or otherwise made unavailable to the students and the council, the council may seek a court order to take possession of the records and provide for their permanent maintenance.

From what agency or entity do students request their transcripts/records from a closed higher education institution?

Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic 14: Additional Information

Is there anything else about the state authorization process in your state that institutions and others ought to know about?

Please contact WSAC staff if you have any questions or would like to request a copy of any applications for authorization

What is your preferred method of communication?

No response provided

 

Please note: There could be additional state agencies with oversight of activities of your institution.