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Accreditation and Program Licensing

The Mission of the eLearning Department
is to provide instructional resources and support services that enhance teaching and learning strategies.

eLearning Vision Statement
We provide high-quality, adaptive instructional support to assist faculty and students to create innovative and equitable educational experiences for our students.

719-502-3555
eLearning@pikespeak.edu

Important Note for Prospective Students-

Pikes Peak State College offers online courses and programs to learners across the nation and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The Higher Learning Commission is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. This federally-recognized body assures students, parents and all stakeholders that PPSC meets clear quality standards for educational and financial performance. In addition to PPSC's Higher Learning Commission accreditation, some of PPSC's academic programs carry specialized accreditation specific to the field.

State Authorization

Pikes Peak State College is a member of National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA), which means we share a reciprocity agreement with all states who are part of the NC-SARA group. The State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement 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. Pikes Peak State College has been approved by the State of Colorado 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.

If you plan on taking PPSC Online classes, please check the NC-SARA Map to verify that your state has either authorized or exempted our college to offer classes or programs to you as a resident of your state.

Student Consumer Complaint Process

Pikes Peak State College is working cooperatively with Higher Education Authorities in all states and other US jurisdictions to ensure compliance with state authorization requirements that govern the offering of online courses in those states, including complaint processes. Pursuant to the United States Department of Education’s Program Integrity Rule, institutions providing online education are required to provide all prospective and current students contact information of the state agency or agencies that handle complaints against postsecondary education institutions offering distance learning within that state.

PIkes Peak Community College encourages students to seek resolution to any concerns by discussing them informally with a staff member at the College. If a complaint cannot be handled informally, Pikes Peak State College students are encouraged to use the PPSC student complaint system. For information about the student grievance process, contact the Dean of Students office, 719-502-2367. If a complaint cannot be resolved at the College level, students may contact Higher Education - Colorado.gov if you are a distance education student that resides out of state and in an NC-SARA state. To find out if you live in a state that has joined this consortium, view the NC-SARA map. Otherwise, students may contact their local state agency for further information. Students should begin the complaint process with the institution and if resolution is not found, the student would contact the institution’s home state SARA Portal Entity. NC-SARA maintains a directory of SARA State Portal Entities NC-SARA Student Complaint Process   Pikes Peak State College will not make a determination that its curriculum meets the state educational requirements for licensure or certification until more detailed research has been completed.

Academic Programs Leading to Licensure

Effective July 1, 2020 the U.S. Department of Education instated a new regulation (Regulation 34 CFR 668.43 (a) (5) (v)) which requires colleges to provide the following on all programs that lead to licensure:

  1. A list of all states/jurisdictions where the institution’s curriculum meets state educational requirements for professional licensure or certification;
  2. A list of all states/jurisdictions where the institution’s curriculum does not meet state educational requirements for professional licensure or certification; and
  3. A list of all states/jurisdictions where the institution has not made a determination of whether the curriculum meets educational requirements.

If you are enrolled in a program that does not meet licensure requirements in your home state or a program for which no determination has been made, please consult the appropriate licensure board in your home state. This directory will assist you in locating your licensing board: National Associations for State Licensing Boards .To find out if you live in a state that has joined this consortium, view the NC-SARA map.

Pikes Peak State College has approval to offer courses in the following states and territories:

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, 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, U.S. Virgin Islands, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Washington, D.C., West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

California is not a member of NC-SARA.

The California Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education (CBPPE) regulates distance education offerings of private institutions to residents of California. Students residing in California who are pursuing degrees / certificates at PPSC that will lead to a professional licensure are strongly encouraged to consult with the appropriate licensing agency in California to verify that the degree/certificate offered by PPSC will meet any California licensing requirements, prior to starting the degree/ certificate.


If you plan to enroll in online classes at Pikes Peak State College, please check the information provided above to verify that your state has either authorized or exempted our college to offer such classes or programs to you as a resident of that state. If you reside in an “unauthorized” state and plan to take online classes, please note that we are not authorized or exempted to offer distance education/online classes to you as a resident of an “unauthorized” state. 


For additional questions regarding state authorization rules for distance education and online programs, please contact Cynthia Krutsinger, Dean of Online Learning at 719-502-2236 or Cynthia.Krutsinger@pikespeak.edu

To contact the divisions directly:

Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (AHSS) - (719) 502-3200

Business, Technology, and Public Service (BTPS) - (719) 502- 3300

Health Sciences (HS) - (719) 502-3700

Science, Engineering, and Math (SEM) - (719) 502 - 3600

Technical and Professional Studies (TPS) - (719) 502-3400

Every student deserves a positive educational experience. Sometimes a student’s experience may not be what they anticipate, and the student may have a concern or a complaint.

Pursuant to the United States Department of Education’s Program Integrity Rule, institutions providing online education are required to provide all prospective and current students contact information of the state agency or agencies that handle complaints against postsecondary education institutions offering distance learning within that state.

We encourage you to seek resolution to any concerns by discussing them informally with a staff member at the College. If a complaint cannot be handled informally, Pikes Peak State College students are encouraged to use the PPSC student complaint system. For information about the student grievance process, contact the Dean of Students office, 719-502-2367.

If a complaint cannot be resolved at the College level and you are a distance education student that resides out of state and in an NC-SARA state, please contact Higher Education - Colorado.gov . Otherwise, please contact your local state agency for further information. NC-SARA maintains a directory of SARA State Portal Entities NC-SARA Student Complaint Process

Pikes Peak State College will not make a determination that its curriculum meets the state educational requirements for licensure or certification until more detailed research has been completed.

Effective July 1, 2020 the U.S. Department of Education instated a new regulation (Regulation 34 CFR 668.43 (a) (5) (v)) which requires colleges to provide the following on all programs that lead to licensure:

  1. A list of all states/jurisdictions where the institution’s curriculum meets state educational requirements for professional licensure or certification;
  2. A list of all states/jurisdictions where the institution’s curriculum does not meet state educational requirements for professional licensure or certification; and
  3. A list of all states/jurisdictions where the institution has not made a determination of whether the curriculum meets educational requirements.

In compliance with the U.S. Department of Education for participation in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC-SARA), Pikes Peak State College provides information pertaining to professional licensure and certification in correlation with programs offered at PPSC that may lead to state licensure.

Students are advised to review the following information BEFORE beginning a program at PPSC that leads to professional licensure with the intent to be licensed outside of the state of Colorado:

  • Review the licensing information provided for the applicable program(s) below.
  • Contact the appropriate licensing agency in the U.S. states and territories where licensure is intended. This will enable you to obtain the most up-to-date information about licensure requirements and confirm how a PPSC program facilitates those requirements.
  • Only a select few of PPSC programs are formally approved for professional licensure. However, while a program may not be formally approved in states outside of Colorado, it may still meet all or a portion of the “educational” requirements for licensure in other states and territories. Therefore, it may be necessary for you to contact the licensing agency directly to find out if a PPSC program will meet educational requirements in states other than Colorado.

Not all PPSC programs are formally approved for professional licensure. However, while a program may not be formally approved in states outside of Colorado, it may still meet all or a portion of the “educational” requirements for licensure in other states and territories. Therefore, it may be necessary for you to contact the licensing agency directly to find out if a PPSC program will meet educational requirements in states other than Colorado. 

Other online degrees and programs that may not require licensure or credentialing may be found here:

Online degrees and certificates

PPSC licensing information provided for the applicable program(s) below:

If you are enrolled in a program that does not meet licensure requirements in your home state or a program for which no determination has been made, please consult the appropriate licensure board in your home state. This directory will assist you in locating your licensing board.

Profession

National Associations for State Licensure Boards

Accounting

National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA)

Automotive Service Technology

ASE Education Foundation (ASE Foundation)

 

Certified Dietary Manager

Association of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals (ANFP)

Culinary Arts Program

American Culinary Federation Education Foundation (ACFEF)

Dental Assisting

The American Dental Association’s Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA)

Emergency Medical Services - Paramedic

Colorado Department of Health and Environment (CDPHE) and

Commission on the Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)

Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Technology (HVAC)

HVAC Excellence


Nursing (AAS)

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)

Nursing (BSN)

Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education 

Paralegal

American Bar Association

Pharmacy Technician

American Society of Health - System Pharmacists (ASHP)

Physical Therapy Assistant

Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE)

Surgical Technology

Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)

The content of this professional licensing document should not be considered to be or used as legal advice. Legal questions should be directed to legal counsel.

* Information provided is intended to provide guidance; it does not constitute legal advice. Institutions should consult their legal counsel for review of statutes and processes for each professional licensure agency to determine action needed.