State Authorization Renewal Process

In preparation for the start of a new school year, the State Authorization Team worked tirelessly during the hot summer months to maintain The Ohio State University’s approved status nationwide. Because of their hard work, students all over the country are able to participate in the Ohio State experience for another year!

To ensure approved status, the team applied for renewal of the university’s SARA membership, as well as updated and renewed applications in non-SARA states. 

SARA Membership Renewed

It’s official! Ohio State was approved for another year as a SARA institution. With the first year of SARA participation coming to a close, the State Authorization team worked to renew the university’s SARA membership.

To renew Ohio State’s SARA membership, the team submitted the annual renewal application for review and approval by the Ohio Department of Higher Education and the National Council of State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA). In addition to submitting the application, the Office of Distance Education and eLearning paid a $12,000 fee on behalf of the university to renew the membership. With the application approved and the fee paid, Ohio State’s SARA membership will continue for another year.

Membership in SARA allows the university to offer distance education courses, advertise university programs, and recruit potential students in other participating states without seeking individual approvals. Currently, there are 42 SARA member states with several other states expected to join by the end of the year.

Non-SARA State Renewals 

While 42 states are now SARA members, the state authorization team must continue to obtain and maintain approvals for online programs in the remaining non-SARA states. This includes renewing existing approvals, and gaining approval for new online programs that were created during the previous year. 

The renewal process varies from state to state, depending on each state’s laws and regulations. A renewal may require updating a previous application, completing a new application, and/or submitting a fee. When new online programs are created during the previous year, the State Authorization Team seeks necessary approvals for that program.

During the month of August, the State Authorization team completed the Pennsylvania Bureau of Postsecondary & Adult Education's registration process for all 17 Ohio State online programs. The registration process in Pennsylvania requires completion of an application for each distance education program. The applications were submitted via web portal, the Bureau sent a confirmation of registration for each program, and Ohio State’s online programs are registered in Pennsylvania for another year!

If you have questions about the status of a program in a specific state, or about the renewal process, contact the State Authorization Team.