Authorization Statement for Distance Learning
Distance Education State Authorization Statement
Dallas College offers online educational opportunities to students residing outside the state of Texas. The United States Department of Education (USDOE) requires that institutions comply with any applicable state approval or licensure requirements in each state to which online instruction is delivered. As a result all colleges must be authorized to deliver online instruction prior to allowing students from those states to enroll.
Dallas College can accept registrations from students residing in the following states:
State Authorized Approved States for Dallas College
Dallas College can accept registration from students residing in these states according to the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) agreements and compliance.
- 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
- Virgin Islands
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Nonapproved States
Currently, Dallas College is not authorized to provide online courses for students residing in these states. If you live in these states, you may not enroll in online courses at Dallas College:
- American Samoa
- California
- Guam
- N. Marianas Islands
We are diligently working with other states and regulatory agencies to provide institutional state authorization program. Please check back with us for more updates.
The State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA) is an agreement among member states, districts and 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. SARA is overseen by a National Council and administered by four regional education compacts.
Distance Learning Complaint Process for Out of State Students
Dallas College students residing outside of the state of Texas and taking an online course may communicate a concern via Complaints, Concerns and Grievances. If a student is not satisfied with the outcome of the institutional process, then the complaint (except for complaints about grades or student conduct violations) may be appealed, within two years of the incident about which the complaint is made, to the SARA portal agency in the home state of the institution. Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) is the SARA portal agency for Dallas College.
The full process is shown below:
- Student files complaint with the institution.
- If the complaint is resolved at the institution:
- Process ends.
- If the complaint is not resolved at the institution:
- Student may file a complaint to the institution's SARA State Portal Entity as noted in the SARA Policy Manual.
- If student does not file a complaint to the SARA State Portal Entity:
- Process ends, no notifications to NC-SARA or State Portal Entity.
- If student files a complaint to the SARA State Portal Entity:
- Institution's home state SARA State Portal Entity notifies the student location SARA State Portal Entity.
- Institution's home state SARA State Portal Entity has final authority in SARA complaints.
- On a quarterly basis, SARA State Portal Entities report status of complaints to NC-SARA.
- Complaint reports by state are listed on the NC-SARA website.
January 2021
While the final resolution of the complaint rests with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, nothing precludes the state in which the complaining person is located from also working to resolve the complaint, preferably through that state’s SARA portal agency. Indeed, it is expected that SARA states will facilitate the resolution of any complaints brought to their attention.