SARA, Sovereignty, and Access: Exploring Policy Change for Tribal Lands

The compliance challenges and negative outcomes that can arise around interstate distance education are well-documented: barriers to access, slowed innovation, and wildly varied consumer protections for students—just to name a few. However, for more than a decade, the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA) has offered a voluntary, state-led framework that enables participating institutions to operate across state lines under a uniform set of requirements—supporting expanded student protections and access.

NC-SARA, the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements, is the private 501(c)(3) organization that facilitates collaboration with the regional compact partners (MHEC, NEBHE, SREB, WICHE) to support the state implementation of the reciprocity agreement called SARA. Institutions participate in SARA based on approval of the home state of the institution.

Equally important to SARA’s continued relevance is its ability to evolve. The SARA Policy Modification Process provides a structured, transparent pathway for states and stakeholders to propose, vet, and adopt changes to SARA policies. This process ensures that the agreement can respond to emerging issues, reflect diverse perspectives, and maintain alignment with the broader regulatory landscape affecting distance education.

In this post, we outline how the policy modification process works in practice and highlight a current proposal of particular significance. Our guest authors will explain the nuances of a current proposal clarifying and strengthening authority to implement SARA for distance education on Tribal Lands. This proposal raises important considerations about sovereignty, access, and regulatory clarity, issues that sit at the heart of SARA’s mission and its future direction.[...]