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.

Pikes Peak State College offers online courses and programs to a wide array of learners across the nation and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. If you plan on taking PPSC Online Campus 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.