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.
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 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas |
| Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | District of Columbia |
| Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho |
| Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas |
| Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland |
| Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi |
| Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | Nevada |
| New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York |
| North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma |
| Oregon | Pennsylvania | Puerto Rico | Rhode Island |
| South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas |
| Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington |
| West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming |
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
