Salve Regina is authorized to offer online education under the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA), which covers 52 states and U.S. territories and is administered by four regional education compacts. NC-SARA allows Salve Regina to provide distance learning programs (both online and in the form of supervised field experiences) and coursework to residents of states other than Rhode Island.

The state authorization reciprocity agreement is an ongoing evaluation process, with institutions reaffirmed annually. The compact requires that Salve Regina initially work directly with students toward resolution of complaints. As a first step, all students should initially seek resolution to their complaints by notifying the relevant department chair or program director in their area of study. Concerns may often be resolved to the student’s satisfaction after meeting and communicating with the department chair or program director. Students whose complaints remain unresolved at this level are encouraged to contact the academic office of the level in which they are enrolled:

Dean of Undergraduate Studies
undergradstudies@salve.edu
(401) 341-2216

Office of Graduate and Professional Studies
gradoffice@salve.edu
(401) 341-2338

Should that process not satisfy any request, complaints may be directed to the agencies below as appropriate.

SARA participating states

Rebecca Ryan
Coordinator of Veterans Education and State Approving Agency
NC-SARA State Portal Entity
Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner
560 Jefferson Boulevard 
Warwick, RI 02886
(401) 736-1164
rebecca.ryan@riopc.edu
Rhode Island-SARA website

The process for resolving complaints is set forth by the Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner.

States not included under the SARA agreement

California: As an accredited nonprofit institution, Salve Regina is not required to register with the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education and therefore may offer online distance education to students located in California.

Complaints should be directed to:
Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education
2535 Capitol Oaks Drive, Suite 400
Sacramento, CA 95833
(916) 431-6959
(916) 263-1897 (fax)

Professional Licensure

Salve Regina offers several programs leading to professional licensure within the state of Rhode Island. NC-SARA membership does not grant reciprocity or exempt Salve Regina from state professional licensing requirements. As a result, licensing requirements in Rhode Island may not be recognized as sufficient to obtain a license in any other state. States vary in what professions they require to be licensed and how licensure functions. Some states require an individual to graduate from an approved program, while others require an individual to meet the certification requirements of a national organization. A specific amount of training and/or passage of an examination may also be required. Often licensed professionals must complete continuing education on an annual basis.

Student Responsibility

Students should review the specific requirements for their academic program, including those related to practicum/internships as well as pre-qualifications for licensure. Salve Regina highly recommends that students contact the applicable licensure board(s) in their home state or in the state where they intend to obtain a license before beginning an academic program that results in licensure and prior to beginning any practicum/internship.

Many licensure boards have additional requirements beyond successful degree completion, and state laws, regulations and policies may change at any time. Changes in requirements can impact a program’s ability to meet educational requirements for licensure. It is the student's responsibility to check with the licensing board(s) in their home state or in the state in which they intend to obtain a license for the most recent information and requirements. Salve Regina shall not be held liable if the student is unable to qualify for licensure or certification in any jurisdiction or cannot obtain a practicum/internship location.

International Students

Prior to enrolling in any program at Salve Regina, prospective students living and/or working outside of the United States should confirm with the appropriate certifying agency whether successful completion of any degree program will meet the credentialing requirements of the country in which they intend to seek employment, as to certain types of employment or for advanced/specialized educational programs.

Licensing Disclosures

Academic programs that lead to licensure have been designed to meet the licensure/certification requirements in Rhode Island and prepare students to apply for licensure exams in Rhode Island. The licensure boards in each state are responsible for establishing the requirements for licensure/certification for their state. Students who intend to return or move to any state other than Rhode Island need to review the disclosures pertaining to their program and consult with the state professional licensing board. These boards make the ultimate decision as to whether an individual is eligible to sit for licensure based on the rules and regulations in place at the time the individual submits their application for licensure.

Programs Leading to Licensure

The disclosures listed below indicate one of three options: The program meets the requirements for licensure in all states, the program does not meet the requirements for licensure in all states or the program requirements are undetermined because Salve Regina cannot determine whether the program leads to licensure in a state. For these purposes, states include the District of Columbia and U.S. protectorates.

Salve Regina discloses that the following academic programs will fulfill state/territory educational requirements for professional licensure as indicated in the program disclosure documents linked below.

Department of Counseling, Leadership and Expressive Arts

• Clinical Counseling, M.A.

Department of Education

• Education, B.S.

Department of Nursing

• Nursing, B.S.
• Family Nurse Practitioner, M.S. or CAGS
• Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, M.S. or CAGS

Department of Psychology

• Behavior Analysis, M.S.

Determination of a Student's Location as it Relates to Professional Licensure Notifications

Federal regulations require Salve Regina to directly notify prospective students or current students enrolled in degree programs leading to licensure when the degree program does not meet licensure requirements in the state in which they are located or when a determination has not been made for the state in which a student is located.

The procedures outlined below define how the University determines the state in which a student is located as it relates to professional licensure notification requirements.

For prospective students, the University considers a student's location to be the state identified by the prospective student on the application at the time of application submission.

• The Office of Admissions maintains the address information for prospective students.
• For students whose address does not include a U.S. state or territory (e.g., students living outside the United States), their location will be considered Rhode Island.

For current students, the University considers a student's location to be the state where the student is physically located while engaging with the educational instruction. This location is determined at the time of notification review assessment per the information on record in the University's student information system. For students who are living in University housing, their location will be considered Rhode Island. For students who have a current off-campus address on record, the state of the off-campus address is the location. For students who are not living in University housing and have no current off-campus address on record, the current permanent state is the location. For students whose permanent address does not include a U.S. state or territory (e.g., students living outside the United States), Rhode Island is considered the student's location. This only pertains to students who are not living in University housing and have no off-campus address on record.

The Office of the Registrar maintains the student academic record, including address information, in the University's student information system.

• Student location designations will remain in effect until a student officially notifies the University of an address change.
• It is the responsibility of the student to officially notify the University of a change in their off-campus and/or permanent address.
• Students may update their off-campus address using My Salve under "User Options."
• Students may update their permanent address by submitting a change of address form.

Relocation

Relocating to another state while in the course of a program may have impacts if the student can remain in the program, meet the state licensure requirements and/or continue to receive financial aid funding. Prior to considering relocation, please contact your advisor to discuss authorization and licensure eligibility requirements.