State Regulatory Information

Columbia College is authorized, exempt, certified, registered or not required to seek approval in all states to offer programs. For specific details related to licensure, disclaimers and agency contact information, please visit: https://www.ccis.edu/directory/institutional-compliance or by navigating to the appropriate state catalog page.

State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA)

State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) is a national initiative to provide more access to online courses while maintaining compliance standards with state regulatory agencies. SARA allows institutions to provide online courses outside of their own state borders by seeking and maintaining state approvals via a streamlined process. To learn more about SARA, please visit: http://nc-sara.org/.

On November 16, 2014, the state of Missouri was approved by the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) to join the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement. On February 26, 2015, Columbia College was approved for institutional participation by the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA).

Currently all states (except California), Puerto Rico, and the U. S. Virgin Islands are authorized as SARA members which allows Columbia College to offer distance education courses to students residing across the United States and territories. Columbia College is approved to offer distance education courses and programs in the state of California by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE).