Accreditation and State Authorization Information

Accreditation

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award certificates and baccalaureate, masters, and doctorate degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of North Carolina A&T State University. SACSCOC (SACSCOC.ORG)

State Authorizations

State Authorization is a legal issue dealing with a university’s adherence to state requirements for universities to secure authorization to offer instruction in that state. Compliance with individual state requirements is now part of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, Amended in 2010. Institutions offering distance education courses or programs must provide current and prospective students with the contact information for filing complaints with the university, its accrediting agency, and the state agencies that handle complaints in the students' state of residence.

North Carolina A&T State University has been approved by the State of North Carolina to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA). NC-SARA is a voluntary, agreement among its member states and U.S. 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 in other states, to give them confidence that programs in other states are properly authorized and thus to improve the quality of online education. 

The National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) oversees SARA. Forty-nine (49) states (all except California) and the District of Columbia currently participate in NC-SARA, (NC-SARA Mission Statement). NC-SARA operates under the authority of four regional education compacts: the Midwestern Higher Education Compact, the New England Board of Higher Education, the Southern Regional Board, and the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. North Carolina is one of 16 states in the Southern Regional Board compact.

North Carolina A&T State University was approved in August 2017 by SARA-North Carolina to participate in NC-SARA. Though California is not a member of SARA, North Carolina A&T State University is able to offer online education in this state by means of exemption from authorization.

For general inquiries regarding state authorization, please contact:

Telephone: 888-498-6752 or 336-256-0355
Email: distance@ncat.edu 

Professional Licensure Disclosures

Professional Licensure Disclosure (All DL Programs Except RN-BSN)

North Carolina A&T State University participates in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC-SARA). Participation in NC-SARA allows the University to provide distance learning programs and coursework to residents of states and territories outside North Carolina. However, NC-SARA does not grant automatic reciprocity with other states or exempt N.C. A&T from the professional licensing requirements required by other states or territories.

N.C. A&T’s programs and courses meet the licensure requirements for professional organizations in North Carolina. The University is in the process of determining the licensure requirements for its professional licensure programs, but has not yet determined whether its online degree programs meet the requirements for professional licensure in every U.S. state and territory.

Current Students: Your advisor will contact you to determine the professional licensure requirements for the state in which you are located or hope to work.

Prospective Students: An enrollment advisor will provide the professional licensure requirements prior to your enrollment.

Learn more about professional licensure at https://www.nc-sara.org/resources/professional-licensure.

Professional Licensure Disclosure (RN-BSN Students Only)

North Carolina A&T State University participates in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC-SARA). Participation in NC-SARA allows the University to provide distance learning programs and coursework to residents of states and territories outside North Carolina. However, NC-SARA does not grant automatic reciprocity with other states or exempt N.C. A&T from the professional licensing requirements required by other states or territories.

N.C. A&T’s programs and courses meet the licensure requirements for professional organizations in North Carolina. The University is in the process of determining the licensure requirements for its professional licensure programs in every U.S. state and territory.

Current and prospective students are encouraged to contact their respective advisor for questions or additional information.

Learn more about professional licensure at https://www.nc-sara.org/resources/professional-licensure.

State Contact Information

Pursuant to the United States Department of Education’s Program Integrity Rule, each institution of higher education is required to provide all prospective and current students with the contact information of the state agency or agencies that handle complaints against postsecondary education institutions offering distance education within that state. Students are encouraged to follow North Carolina A&T's Student Student Complaint Procedure and to utilize the University Student Complaint Form prior to filing a complaint with a state agency. To access a list of contact information for each state's post-secondary education licensing agency, please visit the State Contact Information for Online Students page.