State Authorization for Distance Education Programs and Students

State Authorization for Distance Education Programs and Students

The U.S. Department of Education regulation 600.9(c) State Authorization requires that all U.S. post-secondary educational institutions must be legally authorized to provide post-secondary educational instruction in their states. These state laws and regulations also apply to online and distance education. To comply, Tri-County Community College and its online/distance education programs must be authorized in certain states prior to offering those courses or programs to students residing in those states.


NC SARA logo

Tri-County Community College has been approved by North Carolina to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements.  NC-SARA is a voluntary,  regional approach to state oversight of postsecondary distance education. National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements .

The State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement is a voluntary agreement among its member states and U.S. 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.


 Prospective out-of-state students are advised to consult with officials in their state of residence and the appropriate Tri-County program director to assure that online courses offered by Tri-County Community College meet their state requirements before entering into a TCCC program.


The states in which the college is authorized to serve students are listed below. If you reside in a state not on this list, you are not eligible to register for courses at Tri-County Community College at this time. If you have questions, please contact our registrar's office at: https://www.tricountycc.edu/student-services/registrar/

NC-SARA States
AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansas
ColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of Columbia
FloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdaho
IllinoisIndianaIowaKansas
KentuckyLouisianaMaineMaryland
MassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippi
MissouriMontanaNebraskaNevada
New HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew York
North CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahoma
OregonPennsylvaniaPuerto RicoRhode Island
South CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexas
UtahVermontVirginiaWashington
West VirginiaWisconsinWyoming

SARA North Carolina Portal Liaison:

Terrence R. Scarborough, M.P.A.
Director of SARA North Carolina
North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority
P.O. Box 41349
Raleigh, NC 27629
T: (855) SARA-1-NC (727-2162)
T: (919) 549-8614, ext. 4667

terrence@saranc.org   www.saranc.org

Contact and Complaint Resolution Information For Other States

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