Louisiana became a member of SARA on December 1, 2014. SARA is a national initiative which seeks to establish comparable national standards for the interstate offering of postsecondary distance-education courses and programs. SARA is a voluntary agreement among regional compacts (SREB, NEBHE, MHEC, and WICHE) and member states. Each member state approves their in-state institutions for SARA participation. Institutional membership is voluntary and open to accredited, degree-granting institutions from all sectors of postsecondary education (proprietary, public, private). Once approved, SARA member institutions may offer distance education programs in other SARA member states without additional authorization. For more information on SARA, and for the latest listing of participating states and institutions, visit www.nc-sara.org/directory
PLEASE NOTE: As of January 11, 2021, Initial and Renewal applications have been combined into one document with a check box to select initial or renewal. The link to the updated application is under step #2 below.
For postsecondary institutions located in Louisiana: Accredited, degree-granting institutions located in Louisiana seeking INITIAL SARA membership and RENEWAL SARA membership should do the following:
1) Review the following document: Louisiana SARA Institutional Application Process and Student Complaint Process
2) Complete the Application and Approval Form for Institution Participation in SARA
3) Attach the following documents to the Application for Institutional Approval to Participate in SARA:
(a) A copy of the institution’s student complaint process;
(b) documentation explaining the institution’s policies and practices addressing catastrophic events; and
(c) continuity of operations
4) Enclose a check or money order in the amount of $1,500, made payable to the Louisiana Board of Regents
5) Submit the above items to:
The Louisiana Board of Regents
P.O. Box 3677
Baton Rouge, LA. 70821-3677
Attention: LeAnn Detillier
Applications are reviewed and approved on a rolling-basis. Applications will be reviewed and submitted to the Board of Regents for consideration within 60 days of receipt.
If you have questions regarding the SARA institutional application process, please contact LeAnn Detillier at LeAnn. Detillier@laregents.edu.
For SARA-approved postsecondary institutions located outside of Louisiana:
SARA-approved postsecondary institutions listed on the NC-SARA website’s listing of approved institutions (www.nc-sara.org) may operate within Louisiana without additional authorization, unless the institution offers courses or programs which require clinical experiences in the State of Louisiana and such clinical experiences place more than 10 students from each program in Louisiana who are physically present simultaneously at a single facility/site.
SARA Student Complaints (NOTE: THIS PROCESS IS ONLY APPLICABLE TO SARA STUDENTS)
If you are a student living outside of Louisiana in a state currently participating in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), and you are enrolled via distance education in a Louisiana college/university that is a current member of SARA, and you are unable to resolve a complaint with the college/university, or feel that not all issues were resolved with the final disposition of the college/university, you may appeal to the Louisiana Board of Regents. To find out whether or not your college/university is SARA-approved and/or the state in which you reside is a SARA state, please visit the National Council for SARA website at www.nc-sara.org. Below are links to the forms you will need to file your formal complaint:
Louisiana SARA Student Complaint Process (read this first)
Louisiana SARA Student Complaint Form