Overview

The National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC-SARA) is a national initiative to provide more access to online courses while maintaining compliance standards with state regulatory agencies. NC-SARA allows institutions to provide online courses outside of their own state borders by seeking and maintaining state approvals via a streamlined process. To learn more about NC-SARA, please visit: nc-sara.org.

How NC-SARA Works

NC-SARA is a voluntary, regional approach to state oversight of postsecondary distance education.

Current authorized NC-SARA member states include:

AlabamaMaineOregon
AlaskaMarylandPennsylvania
ArizonaMassachusettsPuerto Rico
ArkansasMichiganRhode Island
ColoradoMinnesotaSouth Carolina
ConnecticutMississippiSouth Dakota
DelawareMissouriTennessee
District of ColumbiaMontanaTexas
FloridaNebraskaUtah
GeorgiaNevadaVermont
HawaiiNew HampshireVirginia
IdahoNew JerseyWashington
IllinoisNew MexicoWest Virginia
IndianaNew YorkWisconsin
IowaNorth CarolinaWyoming
KansasNorth DakotaU.S. Virgin Islands
KentuckyOhio 
LouisianaOklahoma 
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Oregon
Ohio
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
U.S. Virgin Islands

NC-SARA Complaint Information can be found on the official NC-SARA website


Professional License/Licensure for Out-of-State Students

Governor State University has been approved to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC-SARA); however, NC-SARA does not deal with professional licensing board approval for any courses or programs leading to professional licensure. If you are not a resident of Illinois and you are taking an online course or hybrid program leading to professional licensure, please contact the program's coordinator to discuss licensure options prior to beginning your course of study. For program coordinator contact information, please visit your respective program's webpage.

Program List

You may also find your professional licensure program of your interest through our colleges' respective webpages:


Important Note About Student Field Placements

State professional licensure boards may have additional requirements or restrictions on student field placements, including:

    • Healthcare Clinicals

    • Practicums

    • Internships

    • Student Teaching


State Authorization Student Complaint Procedure

Governors State University is committed to offering an exceptional and accessible education that prepares students with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to succeed in a global society. In order to fulfill this commitment, procedures have been established to foster open communication and ensure that we continuously improve our processes as a result of feedback from students. If you are a student residing outside of Illinois while attending Governors State University and find it necessary to file a complaint, please visit our Student Complaints and Grievances webpage for more information.

Student Complaints and Grievances

NC-SARA Complaint Process

Students may also file a complaint through NC-SARA.

NC SARA Logo