Requirements
Core Requirements
1. Springfield College is domiciled in Massachusetts, a state that has joined the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA) initiative, and is authorized to operate in that state. SARA considers the Home Campus to be where an institution has its legal domicile. Any disputes about which state is the home state will be resolved for SARA purposes by the affected regional compacts or the National Council (NC-SARA), as needed. Only distance education content originating in the United States, a U.S. territory, or district and provided from within a SARA state is eligible to be offered under SARA. The fact that a foreign Institution is owned by a U.S. entity does not qualify distance education originating from the non-U.S. Institution to be offered under SARA. Only distance education offerings under the oversight of a SARA Member State can be offered through SARA.
Authorization to Operate in Massachusetts: June 2, 1997, authorization letter from the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education available upon request
Tax Exemption Information: Internal Revenue Service Form 990 available upon request
Consumer Protection
2. Accreditation: Springfield College is a U.S. degree-granting institution that is accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and whose scope of authority, as specified by the Department, includes distance education.
Accreditation Verification: January 11, 2022, accreditation letter from the Northeast Council for Higher Education available upon request
3. Accreditation Status: Springfield College agrees to notify its home state’s SARA Portal Entity of any negative changes to its accreditation status.
4. Federal Financial Responsibility Composite Score: For independent institutions, the state accepts an institutional federal financial responsibility composite score of 1.5 or higher as indicative of sufficient minimum financial stability to qualify for participation in SARA. For institutions owned or controlled by another entity (i.e., a parent entity), the relevant score will be the composite score of the parent entity as identified by the state portal entity. An institution’s financial status must be evaluated using a score based on the most recent fiscal year for which a composite score is available. Acceptable composite scores shall be calculated by either the responsible federal agency, the state, or by a certified, independent accountant acceptable to the state. If a calculated composite score is not available for the most recent fiscal year for which financial statements are available, the state may calculate, or require an institution to have calculated by a certified, independent accountant acceptable to the state, a composite score based on the institution’s most recent audited financial statements.
5. Abide by C-RAC Guidelines: Springfield College agrees to abide by the Interregional Guidelines for the Evaluation of Distance Education and policies of the SARA Manual.
6. Does not enforce Arbitration Agreements: SARA participating institutions are not permitted to enforce arbitration agreements on students enrolled under SARA provisions, and such agreements must not be applied. Institutions that utilize mandatory arbitration agreements for the resolution of non-SARA complaints or disputes shall provide a disclosure that such agreements must not be applied towards a complaint or dispute that falls within the scope of the SARA Policy Manual.
7. Responsible for institution activities: The institution agrees to follow the SARA Policy Manual Section 5.5 regarding third-party provider contracts.
8. Will resolve complaints: Springfield College agrees to work with its Home State's SARA Portal Entity to resolve any complaints arising in SARA states, and to abide by the decisions of that entity regarding resolution of such complaints. Complaints must follow the Institution's customary resolution procedure prior to being referred to the state under SARA policy. Grade appeals and student conduct appeals are not allowed under SARA.
9. Application signed by CEO or CAO: Springfield College agrees to apply to its Home State’s Portal Entity. The application will be submitted with the signature of the institution’s chief executive officer or chief academic officer.
10. Disclosure Requirements – Adverse Actions: Institutions shall disclose to their home state any adverse action against the institution and any investigation by an oversight entity related to the institution’s academic quality, financial stability, student consumer protection policies or practices, or compliance with any state or federal requirements within 30 days of the institution’s first knowledge of the action or investigation and provide the disclosure in accordance with the SARA Policy Manual Section 3.9(a).
11. Disclosure Requirements – Changes in Institution Operations: Institutions shall disclose to their home state any changes in the institution’s operations that are inconsistent with the requirements contained in the SARA Policy Manual or that may impair the institution’s ability to satisfy any requirement of the SARA Policy Manual within 30 days of the institution’s first knowledge of the change and provide the disclosure in accordance with the SARA Policy Manual Section 3.9(b).
12. Agree to professional licensure disclosures -- 34 C.F.R. § 668.43: Springfield College agrees to provide notifications to students related to professional licensure. Any institution approved to participate in SARA that offers courses or programs designed to lead to professional licensure or certification or advertised as leading to licensure must satisfy all federal requirements for disclosures regarding such professional licensure programs. For SARA purposes, these requirements will also apply to non-Title IV institutions and programs.
13. Agree to provide complaint resolution policies: Institutions shall provide their and SARA’s complaint resolution policies and procedures to all students taking courses under SARA policies on the institution’s website and in the institution’s catalog or equivalent information provided either in print or electronically to students when they enroll.
14. Instruction: The institution agrees, in cases where the institution cannot fully deliver the instruction for which a student has contracted, to provide a reasonable alternative for delivering the instruction or reasonable financial compensation for the education the student did not receive. This may include tuition assurance funds, surety bonds, irrevocable letters of credit, assistance with transfer, teach-out provisions or other practices deemed sufficient to protect consumers.
15. Catastrophic events: The institution agrees that it has well-documented policies and practices for addressing catastrophic events. The institution agrees to provide the catastrophic event policy and disaster recovery procedures to the State Portal Entity, if/when requested. Impacted students will receive the services for which they have paid or reasonable financial compensation for those not received. This may include tuition assurance funds, surety bonds, irrevocable letters of credit, assistance with transfer, teach-out provisions or other practices deemed sufficient to protect consumers. The institution agrees that it and/or its home state has adequate measures to protect student records in the event of closure.
16. Agree to provisional status: The institution agrees to abide by conditions of provisional approval, if applicable, and to include disclosure of provisional status and reason on its website per 3.2.f.
Fees
17. Agree to Notification of Change to Composite Score: If an institution determines or is notified that its composite score has changed such that it crosses a participation eligibility threshold, it will have a maximum of thirty days to notify its State Portal Entity and provide any documentation relating to its composite score.
18. Agree to Provide Teach-Out Plan and/or Agreement: If an institution is required to submit an institutional teach-out plan, teach-out agreement, or any other closure-related plan with an accrediting agency, authorizing entity, or ED, it shall simultaneously provide to the SARA State Portal Entity a copy of the plan or agreement, including all related documentation and any additional information requested by the SARA State Portal Entity.
19. Agree to pay state fees: The institution agrees to pay to its Home State any State fees for SARA participation required by the Home State for administering SARA.
20. Agree to pay SARA fees: The institution agrees to pay its annual SARA participation fee to the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA).
21. Agrees to share data: The institution agrees to provide data necessary to monitor SARA activities, including annual reporting of exclusively distance education enrollments and out-of-state learning placements by state, in accordance with the NC-SARA Data Sharing Agreement and relevant reporting handbooks.
