Recent amendments to the Higher Education Act of 1965 include changes in regulation for State Authorization that may impact online, distance, and correspondence education providers. The relevant language includes:
If an institution is offering postsecondary education through distance or correspondence education to students in a State in which it is not physically located or in which it is otherwise subject to State jurisdiction as determined by the State, the institution must meet any State requirements for it to be legally offering postsecondary distance or correspondence education in that State. An institution must be able to document to the Secretary the State's approval upon request. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1001 and 1002)
Rowan University’s Global Learning & Partnerships is taking measures in order to comply with these new regulations so we can continue providing educational access to students across the country. In compliance with the language passed in the Higher Education Opportunities Act of 2008, the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) conducted a Negotiated Rule Making Process in 2010 determining that institutions offering distance education must provide enrolled and prospective students with contact information for filing complaints with its accrediting agency and with the appropriate state agency for handling complaints in the student's state. Below is a state-by-state list of the agencies in each state responsible for complaints regarding out-of-state distance education programs. Students who intend to file a complaint must do so with the agency listed for their state of residence.
State | Consumer Complaint Contact Information | |
---|---|---|
Alabama |
Alabama Commission on Higher Education P.O. Box 302000 Montgomery, AL 36130-2000 http://ache.edu/Content/ Departments/NRI/federal-reg.pdf |
Alabama Community College System |
Alaska |
Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education
Alaska Office of Attorney General |
|
Arizona |
Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education |
|
Arkansas |
State Board of Private Career Education |
Higher Education Coordinating Board |
California |
California Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education |
|
Colorado |
Colorado Department of Higher Education |
|
Connecticut |
Connecticut Office of Financial and Academic Affairs for Higher Education
Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection |
|
Delaware |
Delaware Higher Education Office
Delaware Attorney General - Fraud & Consumer Protection Division |
|
District of Columbia |
District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education |
|
Florida |
Florida Commission for Independent Education |
|
Georgia |
Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission |
|
Hawaii |
Hawaii State Board of Education
Hawaii Postsecondary Education Authorization Program (HPEAP) |
|
Idaho |
Idaho State Board of Education |
|
Illinois |
Board of Higher Education |
State Board of Education
Illinois Attorney General |
Indiana |
Board for Proprietary Education |
|
Iowa |
Iowa Student Aid Commission |
|
Kansas |
Kansas Board of Regents |
|
Kentucky |
Kentucky Commision on Proprietary Education |
Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education
Office of the Attorney General |
Louisiana |
Louisiana Attorney General Office |
|
Maine |
Maine Department of Education
Maine Attorney General |
|
Maryland |
Maryland Higher Education Commission
Maryland Attorney General |
|
Massachusetts |
Massachusetts Board of Higher Education |
|
Michigan |
Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs |
|
Minnesota |
Minnesota Office of Higher Education |
|
Mississippi |
Mississippi Commission on College Accreditation
Office of the Attorney General |
Mississippi Commission of Proprietary Schools and College Registration |
Missouri |
Missouri Department of Higher Education |
|
Montana |
Montana Board of Regents
Montana Office of Consumer Protection |
|
Nebraska |
Department of Education |
Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education
Nebraska Attorney General |
Nevada |
Nevada Commission on Postsecondary Education |
|
New Hampshire |
New Hampshire Department of Education |
|
New Jersey |
Commission on Higher Education
New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs
|
New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development |
New Mexico |
New Mexico Higher Education Department |
|
New York |
Office of College and University Evaluation |
Bureau of Proprietary School Supervision |
North Carolina |
Board of Governors for the University of North Carolina |
Community College System Office of Proprietary Schools |
North Dakota |
North Dakota Department of Career and Technical Education (if school is "authorized)
North Dakota Consumer Protection Division (if school is "exempt" or not authorized) |
|
Ohio |
Ohio Department of Higher Education
Ohio Attorney General
|
Ohio State Board of Career Colleges and Schools |
Oklahoma |
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
Oklahoma Office of the Attorney General |
Oklahoma State Board of Private Vocational Schools |
Oregon |
Higher Education Coordinating Commission
Oregon Attorney General |
Oregon Department of Education |
Pennsylvania |
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Office of Attorney General
|
|
Rhode Island |
Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education
Rhode Island Department of Attorney General |
|
South Carolina |
South Carolina Commission on Higher Education |
|
South Dakota |
South Dakota Board of Regents
South Dakota Office of Attorney General |
|
Tennessee |
Tennessee Higher Education Commission |
|
Texas |
Higher Education Coordinating Board
Office of the Attorney General |
Texas Workforce Commission |
Utah |
Utah Division of Consumer Protection |
|
Vermont |
Vermont Agency of Education
Vermont Attorney General's Office
https://agocapcomplaint.atg.state.vt.us/forms/ |
|
Virginia |
State Council of Higher Education for Virginia |
|
Washington |
Washington Student Achievement Council
Washington State Office of the Attorney General |
Washington Workforce Training and Education |
West Virginia |
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
West Virginia Office of the Attorney General |
Community and Technical College System of West Virginia |
Wisconsin |
Wisconsin Educational Approval Board |
|
Wyoming |
Wyoming Department of Education
Attorney General's Office
|
|
Puerto Rico |
Puerto Rico Council on Higher Education
Puerto Rico Department of Justice
|
|
Guam |
Not yet developed | |
Virgin Islands |
Government of the United States Virgin Islands |