State Authorization of Distance Education

State authorization is a regulation of the U.S. Department of Education that requires institutions offering distance education courses to be authorized by each state in which the institution enrolls students (if such authorization is required by the state). Each of the 50 states has varying rules and regulations governing distance education offered by out-of-state colleges and universities. Often these rules require higher education institutions that offer distance education to residents of other states to obtain authorization or approval from the other state. The regulations are a consumer protection measure against ‘bad actors’ in the distance education industry, and were highlighted in Program Integrity Rules issued by the federal Department of Education in October 2010.

Because of the compliance burden and cost involved in registering online programs in all 50 states, a Commission on Regulation of Postsecondary Distance Education established the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA). Under SARA, states agree on uniform standards for state authorization of distance education. When a higher education institution meets the standards in its home state and that state is a member of SARA, it is authorized to offer distance education to residents of other states that are members of SARA without having to undertake burdensome and costly state-by-state registration.

To be eligible to participate in SARA, an institution must be certified by its resident state. Virginia Christian College currently operates under SCHEV religious exempt status, which does not require state oversight of its programming. Therefore, the College is not yet a member of SARA and must obtain authorization from each state. Our current status in each of the states is provided below, along with an explanation of terms, disclosures, and each state representative contact information for student complaints warranting escalation.

Current Authorization Status

State	Approval	State	Approval
Alabama	Exempt per Regulations	Montana	Not pursuing at this time
Alaska	Exempt per Regulations	Nebraska	Exempt per Regulations
Arizona	Exempt per Regulations	Nevada	Exempt per Regulations
Arkansas	Not pursuing at this time	New Hampshire	Exempt per Regulations
California	Not pursuing at this time	New Jersey	Exempt per Regulations
Colorado	Exempt per Regulations	New Mexico	Not pursuing at this time
Connecticut	Not pursuing at this time	New York	Not pursuing at this time
Delaware	Not pursuing at this time	North Carolina	Exemption Granted
District of Columbia	In process	North Dakota	Not pursuing at this time
Florida	Exempt per Regulations	Ohio	Not pursuing at this time
Georgia	Not pursuing at this time	Oklahoma	Exempt per Regulations
Hawaii	Exempt per Regulations	Oregon	Not pursuing at this time
Idaho	Exempt per Regulations	Pennsylvania	Not pursuing at this time
Illinois	Exempt per Regulations	Puerto Rico	Not pursuing at this time
Indiana	Exempt per Regulations	Rhode Island	Not pursuing at this time
Iowa	Exempt per Regulations	South Carolina	Exempt per Regulations
Kansas	Exempt per Regulations	South Dakota	Exempt per Regulations
Kentucky	Exempt per Regulations	Tennessee	Exempt per Regulations
Louisiana	Not pursuing at this time	Texas	Exempt per Regulations
Maine	Exempt per Regulations	Utah	Exempt per Regulations
Maryland	In process	Vermont	Exempt per Regulations
Massachusetts	Exempt per Regulations	Virginia	Exempt per Regulations
Michigan	Not pursuing at this time	Washington	Exempt per Regulations
Minnesota	Not pursuing at this time	West Virginia	Exempt per Regulations
Mississippi	Not pursuing at this time	Wisconsin	Not pursuing at this time
Missouri	Exempt per Regulations	Wyoming	Not pursuing at this time

Additional Information

Explanation of Terms
- Exempt per Regulations: According to regulations for state authorization, VACC is exempt and can enroll students residing in this state in online programs.
- Exemption Granted: VACC has actively pursued an exemption from this state, has been granted thus, and can enroll students residing in this state in online programs.
- Institutional Authorization: VACC has obtained authorization from this state by submitting all required documentation and obtaining approval. VACC can enroll students residing in this state in online programs.
- In Process: VACC is in the process of obtaining authorization from this state. This page will be updated when authorization is obtained.
- Not Pursuing at This Time: VACC is not pursuing authorization in this state and may not enroll students residing in this state in online programs.
General Disclaimers
- Transfer of credit is at the sole discretion of the receiving institution.
- Admission into programs is prohibited for states for which VACC does not have exemption or full authorization.
State-Specific Disclosures
- North Carolina: Degree programs of study offered by Virginia Christian College have been declared exempt from the requirements for licensure, under provisions of North Carolina General Statutes Section (G.S.) 116-15 (d) for exemption from licensure with respect to religious education. Exemption from licensure is not based upon assessment of program quality under established licensing standards.
- Texas: Degree programs of study offered by Virginia Christian College have been declared exempt from the requirements for licensure and are not regulated in Texas under Chapter 132 of the Texas Education Code. Exemption from licensure is not based upon assessment of program quality under established licensing standards.
Student Complaint Information by State

Students who have complaints that have not been resolved through contact with Virginia Christian College may seek advisement from the appropriate office in the student’s state of residence. This list includes contact information for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories and should not be construed as informative of what agencies regulate the institution or in what states the institution is authorized to operate. States will accept complaints regardless of whether an institution is authorized to operate in that state. VACC does not maintain state and territory websites, and information may change without the College’s knowledge. Please click here to locate your state.