State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement - SARA Distance Education

State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement [SARA] 


Introduction

The City College of New York is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) (www.msche.org). The MSCHE is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. All City College programs are approved by the New York State Education Department. The Board of Regents in New York State (NYS) grants professional licensure/certificates to qualified candidates. City College is also an institutional member of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA). 

SARA is an agreement among member states, districts and territories that establishes comparable national standards for the approval of interstate postsecondary distance education courses and programs.

New York State institutions participating in SARA are authorized to conduct distance education activity in other SARA member states under the terms and provisions of SARA. Please refer to the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) website for more information about SARA eligibility, coverage, and procedures. A list of states and institutions participating in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement is available on the NC-SARA Directory webpage.

NC-SARA Student Complaint Process


Under NC-SARA (National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements) rules, students have the right to lodge a complaint or grievance if that student’s experience in an online program is not what he or she anticipates. SARA consumer protection provisions require the institution’s home state, through its SARA State Portal Entity, to investigate and resolve allegations of dishonest or fraudulent activity by the state’s SARA-participating institutions, including the provision of false or misleading information.

Students have two years to submit a SARA-related complaint. SARA policies do not cover complaints related to grades, student conduct violations, or student academic integrity violations. For complaints related to grades, student conduct violations, or student academic integrity violations, refer to "City College's Internal Complaint Procedure."

City College's Internal Complaint Procedure
Students in online programs encountering a problem or grievance about the course should always attempt to resolve the problem with the faculty member and/or the Department Chair. For information about the City College process for academic appeals as well as for non-academic complaints, see:

Appeal to City University of New York (CUNY)
If the situation remains unresolved after completing the complaint process established by the College, then a further appeal may be addressed to:

City University of New York
Office of Student Advocacy and Referral
205 E 42nd Street
New York, NY 10017
studentaffairs@cuny.edu
 

Appeal to New York State Education Department (NYSED)
If the complaint was not resolved at the CUNY level, students may file a complaint with the New York State Education Department:

Supervisor of Higher Education Programs
New York State Education Department
89 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12234
(518) 474-1551
IHEauthorize@nysed.gov

The following resources provide further guidance on complaint procedures and contacts:

SARA Requirements: Professional Licensure Disclosure

While SARA does not address professional licensing board approval for programs leading to state licensing, SARA does require that participating institutions provide proper notification to students as to whether courses and programs will meet the professional licensure requirements in states where students are located. This is in alignment with federal regulations.

Fully Online Programs offered at City College 

City College offers a fully online degree option for the following programs. Programs leading to licensure or certification are indicated where applicable. 

Fully Online Programs at City College
Program Name Degree License Type Program Meets Educational Components of Licensure or Certification Requirements Determination Has Not Been Made Additional Information Tution and Fees
Educational Theatre MSED Initial Certification New York State All states other than New York Fully online option available Current Tuition and Fees
Educational Theatre MSED N/A - non-Teacher Certification N/A N/A Fully online option available Current Tuition and Fees

Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts and Sciences

 BA N/A N/A N/A Fully online option available Current Tuition and Fees
Popular Music Studies BA N/A N/A N/A Fully online option available Current Tuition and Fees
Psychology BA N/A N/A N/A Fully online option available Current Tuition and Fees
Psychology BS N/A N/A N/A Fully online option available Current Tuition and Fees
Sustainability in the Urban Environment MS N/A N/A N/A Fully online option available Current Tuition and Fees
Teaching Students with Disabilities, Grades 7-12 Generalist Adv. Cert. Initial Certification New York State All states other than New York Fully online option available Current Tuition and Fees
Teaching Students with Disablities, Grades 1-6 Adv. Cert. Initial Certification New York State All states other than New York Fully online option available Current Tuition and Fees
Urban Sustainability Adv. Cert. N/A N/A N/A Fully online option available Current Tuition and Fees


Professional Licensure 

New York State takes pride in the high quality of its licensed and certified professionals. For the protection of its citizens, each license and certificate has requirements that individuals must meet in order to be licensed or certified in New York State. CUNY’s academic programs leading to licensure or certification are carefully designed to meet and exceed these State requirements. This is a role CUNY plays in protecting the public. Other states frequently have their own requirements, so if your goal is to practice in another state, this disclosure will help you check to see what that state requires. NC-SARA membership does not grant reciprocity or exempt City College from state professional licensing/certification requirements.

Per U.S. Federal Regulations (34 CFR §668.14 and 34 CFR §668.43) and in compliance with the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA) Policy Manual, City College provides the following disclosures related to the educational requirements for professional licensure and certification. 

Teacher Preparation Programs

City College has designed curricula in online graduate teacher preparation programs that if successfully completed is sufficient to meet the licensure and certification requirements for an initial teaching certification license in New York State.

You may review additional information about licensure and certification requirements in the following states and regions:

Last Updated: 03/18/2026 09:55