SARA and Student Complaints
What is SARA?
The State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) is a national initiative that increases student access to distance education courses and programs while maintaining compliance with state regulations. Institutions participating in SARA can offer educational opportunities in all 49 SARA member states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico without seeking individual approval in each state. To learn more about SARA, visit nc-sara.org.
On March 2, 2015, the Midwestern Higher Education Compact approved the State of Ohio as a SARA member state. On September 22, 2015, the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) approved The Ohio State University as a SARA institution.
Student Complaint Process
Students enrolled in Ohio State courses who have a complaint about a course or experience should follow Ohio State’s complaint, grievance and appeal procedures. Students who are unable to resolve a complaint with the course instructor, department or college are encouraged to file a grievance with the Office of Undergraduate Education or the Graduate School.
If a student living in a State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) state is not satisfied with the outcome of this process, a complaint involving allegations of fraudulent activity, including the provision of false or misleading information, may be appealed to the Ohio Department of Higher Education, which is the SARA portal entity for Ohio. The appeal must be brought within two years of the incident about which the complaint is made. Resolution of the complaint by the Ohio Department of Higher Education is final.
Examples of types of student complaints that may be brought to the SARA portal entity include, but are not limited to, complaints regarding accuracy of job placement data, tuition or fee information, accreditation, whether a program meets licensure requirements, or course transfer information. Grade appeals and student conduct appeals are not allowed under SARA.