Improvements to Online Education to Benefit Michigan Students;

Greater access; cost savings for colleges and universities

Contact: Jeannie Vogel 517-373-9280
Agency: Licensing and Regulatory Affairs

September 21, 2015 - Online postsecondary distance education for Michigan students just got a lot
better, along with streamlined regulation for colleges and universities, with the State of Michigan
joining a new national reciprocity agreement under the enactment of Public Act 45 of 2015.
Michigan now has joined the Midwestern State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (M-SARA) with
approval from the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) resulting in streamlined
regulation and greater student access to quality programs. SARA is an agreement among member
states that establishes comparable national standards for interstate offering of postsecondary
distance education courses and programs. It allows states to accept each others authorization
without the need for further expense, paperwork and red tape on the part of the institution.
The State of Michigan is pleased to join the SARA initiative as it will expand and enhance
educational opportunities for our citizens, said Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory
Affairs (LARA) Chief Deputy Director Shelly Edgerton. It will enable all of our postsecondary
institutions to focus on providing quality and affordable educational opportunities.
LARA serves as the state portal agency for Michigan and as the single point of contact for all
Michigan institutions participating in SARA. Institutions approved by LARA will be listed at
both: https://www.lara.michigan.gov/colaLicVerify/and on the National Council for State Authorization
Reciprocity Agreements at www.nc-sara.org
The state-level reciprocity and credentialing process that makes state authorization more efficient,
effective and uniform with regard to standards of practice that could span several states; establishes
and upholds quality standards in online/distance education offerings; and is less costly for states and
institutions, and thereby the students they serve. The state in which the institution is physically
located authorizes the institution to provide distance education programs to residents of other SARA
states with little or no additional regulation and at no additional costs.
According to Edgerton, PA 45 of 2015, the Higher Education Authorization and Distance Education
Reciprocal Exchange Act, provides for the reciprocal exchange of distance education between
Michigan and other states or a higher education compact such as SARA. Students can now be
assured of access to, and quality of, their distance education provider, and should there be
difficulties, students now have a complaint process available to them through the State.

This has been a very collaborative process and we appreciated the opportunity to work with the bill
sponsor, Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker and the higher education associations: Presidents Council, State
Universities of Michigan, the Michigan Independent Colleges & Universities, and the Michigan
Community College Association, said Edgerton.
LARAs Corporations, Securities and Commercial Licensing bureau has had the oversight
responsibility of approving new and expanding non-public colleges, universities and trade schools to
operate within Michigan (under 327 PA of 1931 or 148 PA of 1943).
Prior to gaining acceptance into the reciprocity agreement, Michigan was one of several states that
did not regulate distance education providers as those not located within Michigan were not required
to register or seek approval to offer online education courses to Michigan residents. LARA had
received more than 1,500 inquiries from out-of-state institutions requesting approval or exemption to
offer distance education to Michigan residents.
Michigan is the 10th state to join the Midwest regional education compact and is the 29th state
nationally, to join the agreement.
For more information about LARA, please visit www.michigan.gov/lara
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