State Authorizations

State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA)

This refers to the regulation of distance education courses and programs offered to residents of a particular state by an educational institution based in another state and state regulation of various non-distance activities within a specific state by institutions outside of that state. State authorization requirements vary widely from state to state and change frequently. While Miami University is authorized to provide distance learning in many states, authorization to offer all online programs/courses/degrees is not practical because of the complexity and fluidity of requirements in some states, including differing requirements by the academic program. If you reside in a state other than Ohio and are interested in signing up for an online course or program, please contact us at miamionline@MiamiOH.edu. Miami University will review our authorization status in your state and notify you if we can accept your application to our course or program.

For purposes of federal regulations regarding professional licensure programs (34 C.F.R. 668.14(b)(32)), Miami University students enrolled in a University program leading to professional licensure or certification are considered to be located in the State of Ohio when attending a minimum of one in-person course located at Miami’s Oxford, Hamilton, Middletown, or Voice of America campuses at the time of initial enrollment. Miami University students are considered to be a distance education or correspondence student when the student is enrolled in a program leading to professional licensure or certification in a state outside of the State of Ohio at the time of initial enrollment. The “time of initial enrollment” shall be considered the date of attendance in the first semester that a student enrolls at Miami University.

Verifying State of Residence

In order to comply with state and federal requirements, it is necessary for Miami to determine where students will be physically located while taking online course(s). In order to comply, Miami is using a system to query all students who enroll in online, IVDL and hybrid courses about the state in which they will reside while taking the classes. After registering for online, IVDL and/or hybrid classes, students will receive an email with a link to the new system. Clicking on the link allows them to indicate whether they'll be in the US or abroad when they take a course, and if in the US, the state they will live in. It is a simple, quick system with only two questions. Students will only need to complete it once for every term, even if they are taking multiple eLearning courses. Students must complete the short survey; if they fail to respond, their access to MyMiami will be blocked until they complete it. If plans change, students can re-enter the system and modify their location at any time.

Complaint Resolution

Pursuant to the United States Department of Education Federal Integrity Rule, Miami University is required to provide current and prospective students with contact information for filing complaints with relevant agencies that handle complaints against higher education institutions offering distance learning within that state. Undergraduate students residing in another state while enrolled in a course offered by Miami University is encouraged to resolve any complaint through Miami University's undergraduate student grievance process. Graduate students should follow the graduate student grievance policy.

Grievance Contact Information by State

If an issue cannot be resolved by Miami University's internal process, a student may choose to file a complaint with his or her state of residence. The Student Grievance Contact Information provides phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and links to Miami University department chairs as well as state education agencies. For additional information regarding state authorization, approval, or exemption, please email Miami Online (elearningmiami@miamioh.edu) or call 513-529-6068.

Additional Information

More details, including the state authorization alphabetical list and a link for students to modifyt their location, can be found on Miami's State Authorization website (https://miamioh.edu/online/about/state-authorization/index.html).  Students who have questions should contact their respective online learning office for assistance: Miami Online at the central Oxford campus (elearningmiami@MiamiOH.edu), or the Regionals E-Campus (ecampus@MiamiOH.edu).