State Authorization
In fall 2010, the U.S. Department of Education announced "program integrity rules" requiring all institutions of higher education participating in Title IV programs to be able to document compliance with state laws in all states where they offer distance or correspondence education. Below you will find guidance to determine if there is a need to be coordinated and authorized with the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE) to offer distance or correspondence education. The OSRHE Institutional Accreditation policy included below provides additional information relating to physical presence.
If students who live in Oklahoma are enrolled in your institution, it is required that your institution make available for review to any enrolled or prospective student, upon request, a copy of the documents describing the institution’s accreditation and its state, federal or tribal approval or licensing. Catalogs and student information documents must state your institution’s complaint procedures, including an appeal process. Moreover, your institution should provide its students or prospective students with contact information for filing complaints with its accreditor, its state approval (i.e., this agency) or licensing entity and any other relevant state official or agency that would appropriately handle a student’s complaint. This is consistent with the U.S. Department of Education Code of Federal Regulations § 668.43(b).
State Authorization Flow Chart (PDF, 21k)
OSRHE Institutional Accreditation Policy (PDF, 84k)
