State Authorizations
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) created a set of approval and reporting requirements for online programs in educational institutions. One of the regulations was 34 C.F.R. 600.9, which is commonly referred to as State Authorization.
ED requires compliance with state regulations of any state in which USA provides distance education for students. To facilitate this compliance with state regulations USA has joined the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA).
NC-SARA allows USA to offer distance education in 49 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. California (not a SARA state) allows residents to take USA distance education courses.
Professional Licensure
If you are a prospective student considering enrolling in an academic program that may lead to a professional license or certificate which is regulated by a state board, we recommend that you contact the appropriate licensing body in your home state and practicing state for guidance BEFORE beginning an academic program at USA as licensure requirements may vary from state to state.
If you are in need of additional information USA encourages you to research NC-SARA by visiting to review NC-SARA’s professional licensure directory.
Professional Licensure Programs
Prospective Online Students
The University of South Alabama participates in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC-SARA). As a member of NC-SARA, we can now offer fully online courses in any NC-SARA State and we are exempt in California.
For more information about NC-SARA, please visit https://nc-sara.org/
Online Programs
If you are interested in enrolling in one of USA’s online programs, please visit USA Online Programs.
To view Student Policies and Complaints, visit the NC-SARA website for student complaint polices and procedures.
Supervised Field Experiences
NC-SARA also governs student placements in other states. Some academic programs or individual courses at the University of South Alabama may require internship/clinical placements and other supervised field experiences. Field experience placements may occur in states other than Alabama. As these placements are considered distance education, programs are required by NC-SARA to limit the number of students placed at one site. Per NC-SARA policy, “no more than 10 students per academic program may be placed simultaneously at one clinical or practicum site.”
Physical Presence in New York State
It is our understanding that physical presence is triggered when any student is placed for an internship/clinical placement in New York. Therefore, as a requirement, we must have PRIOR approval from New York State Office of Professions in order to place students in New York for internships and/or clinical placements. To inquire of prior approval, please contact New York State Office of Professions at opprogs@nysed.gov.