Southern Crescent Technical College is a member of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements. The State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement is a voluntary agreement among its member states and U.S. territories that establishes comparable national standards for interstate offering of postsecondary distance-education courses and programs. It is intended to make it easier for students to take online courses offered by postsecondary institutions based in another state.
About NC-SARA
The State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) establishes a state-level reciprocity process that will support the nation in its efforts to increase the educational attainment of its people by making state authorization:
- More efficient, effective, and uniform in regard to necessary and reasonable standards of practice that could span states;
- More effective in dealing with quality and integrity issues that have arisen in some online/ distance education offerings; and
- Less costly for states and institutions and, thereby, the students they serve.
Key Points
- SARA is voluntary for states and institutions.
- SARA is administered by the four regional education compacts (Midwestern Higher Education Compact, New England Board of Higher Education, Southern Regional Education Board, and the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education), they are now accepting applications from states in their regions. Once states are approved, they can begin to enroll eligible institutions.
- Membership is open to degree-granting postsecondary institutions from all sectors (public colleges and universities; independent institutions, both non-profit and for-profit) accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education.
Out-of-state Online Students:
Any complaints pertaining to a Southern Crescent Technical College online course or program should be submitted to Southern Crescent Technical College using the Student Grievance/Complaint Form
Complaints needing further investigation beyond the college level may be submitted to TCSG using the Program Integrity Complaint Form. Before submitting to TCSG, students need to ensure they have followed the Southern Crescent Technical College's process.
A student may appeal to the Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission (GNPEC) if the SCTC's and TCSG’s resolution is not satisfactory; however, please note that the Commission will not investigate a complaint unless the student has exhausted all available grievance procedures outlined by the institution. GNPEC does not resolve complaints about student grades and student conduct violations. These complaints fall under the jurisdiction of institutional policy.