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State Authorization Regulations

If you are a Nebraska Methodist College student (or prospective student) who will not reside in Nebraska while enrolled in Nebraska Methodist College courses or clinical,  it is your responsibility to be aware of the following information about state authorization requirements.

NMC Distance Education and Professional Licensure Information Table (PDF)

NMC Distance Education and Professional Licensure Information Table (Excel Spreadsheet)

About State Authorization

State Authorization refers to a regulation released in 2010 by the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) which focuses on the requirement for institutions offering distance education to obtain approval from any state or territory in which distance education is offered. Each state has its own regulations governing requirements for authorization. Institutions that are not compliant within the states in which they operate distance education (online and correspondence) may be subject to state sanctions. Therefore, current students must notify Nebraska Methodist College of an address change as soon as possible to ensure distance education compliance. For more information on State Authorization regulations, please visit the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations.

State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA)

The State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) is an agreement among member states, districts and 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. SARA is overseen by a National Council, referred to as NC-SARA, and administered by four regional education compacts.  The State of Nebraska is a member of SARA under the direction of the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education. Nebraska Methodist College has been approved as institution to offer distance courses through the compact agreement to member states.

NMC is currently authorized, licensed, exempt or not subject to approval in the following states.  For states not part of SARA, NMC monitors developments in laws and regulations for offering distance education and clinical/fieldwork experiences. For your convenience, each state has been hyperlinked to its respective Board of Nursing site for further information.

Professional Licensure Information

If you are considering an academic program that leads to a professional license in your state, it is highly recommended that you first seek guidance from the appropriate licensing agency in your home state BEFORE beginning the academic program located outside your state. For distance education nursing students, please check with the Board of Nursing for the state in which you reside and/or plan to practice. Please reference the NMC State Authorization & Professional Licensure Information Table above for more information about your specific program.

SARA does not cover professional licensure. All professional licensure programs offered at Nebraska Methodist College are designed to meet the requirements for the state of Nebraska and all accrediting bodies for recommending candidates for licensure or certification. Students who wish to seek professional licensure in a state other than Nebraska may have additional requirements to fulfill prior to applying for licensure in their state of choice. Nebraska Methodist College makes every effort to keep this information up to date; however, this information is dynamic and subject to change.

Relocation Information

Current and prospective students who begin an online program while residing in a state in which Nebraska Methodist College is authorized to offer online programs need to be aware that moving to another state in which the College is not authorized to offer that program may result in negative consequences. While Nebraska Methodist College makes every effort to obtain authorization everywhere its students live, moving to a state in which the College is not authorized could result in the student's loss of eligibility for certain forms of financial aid and/or the inability to complete the academic program.

Comment/Complaint Resources

Students who have concerns about distance education through NMC and wish to provide  comments or file a complaint with NMC may click here. Students may also contact the compliance office of their respective state, or click here for information on filing a complaint with NMC's accreditor, The Higher Learning Commission.

If your complaint is not resolved at NMC, students may appeal to the State of Nebraska approval agency, Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education, by clicking here. CCPE has final authority on student distance education complaints. Please note that the CCPE cannot, by law, review complaints related to course grades, academic sanctions, or discipline/conduct matters.

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