The University of Alabama at Birmingham has been accepted as a SARA (State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements) institution, which will make it easier to provide access to its online degree programs in 36 states participating in the initiative.
“Being a part of SARA will open doors for more students to take classes at UAB,” said Provost Linda Lucas. “We attract students from around the world, and this allows us to make the UAB experience even better for our online students.”
UAB’s participation in SARA will enable the university to expand access to its online programs, facilitate needed authorizations and advertise and recruit more freely. Students will benefit from greater access to academic programs, increased quality of distance education and expanded opportunities for clinical experiences, practicums and internships.
Alabama joined the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements, or NC-SARA, in October 2015 and is one of 36 states participating in the initiative, which replaces the wide variance of state-authorization policies with a set of common, widely accepted policies and procedures that states voluntarily adopt.
UAB received initial institutional approval from the Alabama Commission for Higher Education/Alabama State Portal Agency, and in March received institutional approval from NC-SARA.
UAB still must comply with state-by-state authorization requirements in non-SARA states, international regulations and with each state’s professional licensure requirements.
A list of states in which all or some degree programs are approved and those for which UAB is seeking approval is online at www.uab.edu/elearning/state-authorization.