State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA)
The U.S. Department of Education requires higher education institutions to be authorized to provide post-secondary instruction in accordance with their respective state laws and regulations. These regulations also apply to online, distance, and correspondence education offered within that state.
黑料吃瓜网 is an active member of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement. SARA is an agreement among 49 member states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands, encompassing 1,993 colleges and universities. Membership in SARA simplifies the process of taking online classes at institutions of higher education based in other states by establishing comparable national standards that provide high-quality postsecondary distance education opportunities to students around the country. SARA is overseen by a and is regionally administered by the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE), one of four regional education compacts.
黑料吃瓜网 was approved by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to participate in SARA and became a member institution in April 2019. California is currently not a SARA member, and residents of that state who are interested in taking an online course at 黑料吃瓜网 should contact us at distance@northshore.edu.
Complaints Process
黑料吃瓜网 is required to provide current and prospective online learning students with contact information and processes for filing complaints. Students who desire to resolve a grievance or file a complaint should follow the College's Student Grievance Procedure as outlined in the 黑料吃瓜网 Student Handbook, which can be found here: As a student enrolled in an authorized SARA program, you can find information on SARA complaints here:
Should you have any concerns or complaints regarding your experience with online learning
at 黑料吃瓜网, please contact us at distance@northshore.edu and we will ensure that your concerns are directed to the appropriate college office
and addressed fairly and promptly. You may also complete our 黑料吃瓜网 SARA Complaint Form
here at:
If your complaint cannot be resolved directly through 黑料吃瓜网, please follow one of the processes below depending on your residency status:
For Massachusetts Residents and Online Students in Non-SARA Member States and Territories:
If your complaint has not been resolved through 黑料吃瓜网, you may file a consumer complaint with the Massachusetts Department of Education (DHE) through their . This form should be used by Massachusetts residents and residents of non-SARA states and territories (California, Guam, etc.).
For Online Students Located in
If your complaint has not been resolved through 黑料吃瓜网, you may file a complaint with the Massachusetts Department of Education (DHE) through the This form should be used by students who are located in . This also includes students who are located in SARA member states and territories outside of Massachusetts for the purposes of completing out-of-state learning placements, such as internships, practica, clinical experiences, etc.
The SARA portal agency in the student鈥檚 state of residence will be notified of any complaint filed with the Massachusetts portal agency. The student鈥檚 home state may assist the Massachusetts portal agency as needed. The complaint resolution by the Massachusetts portal agency is final and cannot be appealed to another state or federal agency or to NC-SARA.
Additional information from the DHE regarding the is as follows:
- Students must first attempt to resolve their complaint using internal administrative procedures offered by the SARA institution. Please fill out the Student SARA Complaint Form here:
- After all administrative remedies have been exhausted with the MA-SARA institution, the student may submit a SARA Complaint via the URL below.
- The Department shall send a copy of the complaint to the institution that is the subject of the complaint;
- Within 30 days of the date that the Department sends a copy of the complaint to the institution, the institution must provide a written response to the student and the Department.
More information regarding the DHE鈥檚 complaint processes can be found here: .