All SARA institutions must be accredited. Recognizing that accreditation provides an important layer of accountability and quality assurance, only degree-granting institutions accredited by U.S. Department of Education-recognized accrediting agencies are permitted to apply to participate in SARA. It is important to note that not all states require accreditation for degree-granting institutions to operate; those institutions that are not accredited are not eligible to participate in SARA.
SARA institutions must be physically located within the U.S. and have U.S. ownership. SARA institutions must be authorized by, and physically located in, a U.S state or territory. This ensures that genuine evaluation and oversight by a U.S. entity can take place.
SARA institutions must demonstrate healthy finances. Private institutions must prove their financial stability by maintaining a U.S. Department of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score of 1.5 or higher. (Institutions may be provisionally approved with a score between 1.0 and 1.5).
SARA institutions are accountable for third-party providers. Institutions sometimes partner with third-party providers to help support the creation of distance education programs. All SARA-participating institutions who utilize third-party providers must take full responsibility for the quality of their work.
SARA institutions must comply with SARA policy. To participate in SARA, colleges and universities must abide by the policies in the SARA Policy Manual.
SARA institutions must uphold stringent reporting and accountability requirements. SARA institutions must notify their state if there is ever a negative change to its accreditation so states can increase scrutiny and monitoring. Institutions must have documented policies and practices for addressing catastrophic events and must not apply arbitration agreements for SARA students. Additionally, SARA member states are expected, per SARA policy, to investigate a variety of consumer protection issues, including:
- Truthfulness 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; and
- Accuracy of information about whether coursework meets any relevant professional licensing requirements or the requirements of specialized accrediting agencies.
SARA institutions are required to satisfy all federal requirements for professional licensure disclosures. All SARA-participating institutions are required to notify students whether their programs meet educational standards for professional licensure in students’ states.
SARA institutions must meet obligations to students. If a SARA institution decides to close a distance education program or the entire institution, the institution must either provide a reasonable alternative or offer financial compensation.
Student complaints are taken seriously. Students are expected to first try to resolve SARA-related complaints using the processes in place at their institutions. If they cannot be resolved at the institution level, SARA allows students to file complaints where the educational content originates. Unlike other higher education membership organizations, NC-SARA publishes a list of complaints filed against its participating institutions on its website in an effort to encourage enhanced transparency and accountability.