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State Authorization

State Authorization Notification for Distance Education Students

In recent years, many states have adopted rules and regulations for distance education programs and courses offered by out-of-state institutions. TN eCampus provides access to high-quality, student-centered distance education through a partnership of Tennessee universities, community colleges and colleges of applied technology. Through this partnership, TN eCampus supports the efforts of our partner institutions to comply with the rules and regulations of each state.

What is SARA?

The National Council-State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC-SARA) is an agreement among member states that “established comparable national standards for interstate offering of postsecondary distance education courses and programs.”  Refer to the link at:  http://nc-sara.org/state-actions/state-actions-regarding-sara to verify State Actions Regarding SARA. SARA pertains to educational programs and courses only and does not have any effect on state professional licensing requirements. 

Note: Tennessee was approved by the Southern Regional Education (SREB) in June 2015 to join the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA).

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Notification to Students

Programs that require clinicals, internships, field experiences, etc. and lead to professional licensure must also abide by state and board regulations in the state where the student resides. Students who wish to complete any experience in a state other than Tennessee, may need to take additional steps to comply with the requirements of that state before starting a program. We strongly advise ALL current and prospective students to become familiar with their state’s regulations and professional licensing requirements by seeking information, and/or approval with their state boards where they reside or have plans to reside as a practitioner. 

Students may be allowed to participate in clinical experiences if their professional licensing boards (Nursing, Teaching and Psychology) do not regulate out-of-state programs. However, additional requirements may apply to students who will become practitioners in their state upon program completion. Links to state agencies and professional licensure boards can be found under Authorization Disclosures by State.

State Board of Nursing contacts and resources can be found at this link.(links to external site)

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SARA States & Institutions

States that have joined SARA are shown on the map below and appear in dark blue. News and updates regarding SARA can be found here.

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Authorization Disclosures by State

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Tennessee Institutions Approved by SARA

The following TN eCampus partner institutions are approved within the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) to offer distance education programs and courses to students who reside in states that have joined SARA. Please note professional licensure board approval for programs leading to state licensing are NOT covered under SARA.

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