The State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) is an agreement among member states, districts, and territories in the United States, which establishes comparable national standards for interstate offering of postsecondary distance education courses and programs. It is intended to simplify the process of taking online courses for credit offered by postsecondary institutions based in another state. SARA is overseen by a national council (NC-SARA) and administered by four regional education compacts.  

Penn State has been approved by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to participate in NC-SARA and was accepted as a SARA institution on January 25, 2017; additionally, Penn State commenced their affiliation with the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) on January 1, 2017. At this time, 49 of the 50 United States are SARA members, however, Penn State is individually approved to offer programs in California. 

For more information on SARA, please visit https://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/state-authorization.  

State Authorization Complaint Resolution 

During your education, you may encounter situations that require the assistance of others to resolve. As a Penn State World Campus student, you have access to experienced representatives who can help. 

The action you take will depend on the nature of the issue you are experiencing. Please visit https://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/state-authorization/complaint-resolution to determine which method of reporting is right for you.  

Professional Licensure/Certification Disclosures by State 

If you plan to pursue employment in a licensed profession, it is important to understand how state licensing board requirements may impact your career. Use the interactive map linked below to understand the professional licensure/certification requirements for any state in which you may plan to pursue employment in a licensed profession after completing your program of study. If you have any questions or concerns regarding professional licensure/certification, please contact the program director for assistance. 

Please Note: Although the University has sought information from other jurisdictions regarding licensure requirements, these requirements are subject to change. If you intend to seek licensure outside of Pennsylvania, the University recommends that you contact the appropriate state licensing agency to obtain the most up-to-date and relevant information. Please visit https://www.psu.edu/state-licensure-disclosures.