SARA Approved Participating Institution

Chatham University has been approved as a participating institution in SARA. SARA Student Complaint Process can be viewed on the SARA website here.

Due to federal regulation, all universities offering distance education programs and practicum experiences in states other than their own must receive authorization or be a SARA approved institution.

State Authorization Regulation Chapter 34, §600.9(C)

If an institution is offering postsecondary education through distance or correspondence education to students in a State in which it is not physically located or in which it is otherwise subject to State jurisdiction as determined by the State, the institution must meet any State requirements for it to be legally offering postsecondary distance or correspondence education in that State. An institution must be able to document to the Secretary the State's approval upon request.

Read About State Authorization

Internships/Field Experience/Practice Experience Placements/Externship Practicum

Please check the information in the Practical Experience and Special requirements column to see if the state you plan on completing your program experience in is approved or has special restrictions. Many facilities where an agreement is established between the university and the facility are starting to denying student's placement if the institution is not authorized in that state.

Current Chatham University Programs that create this trigger: RN-BSN, MSN, DNP, DPT, MOT, MPAS, OTD

Nursing Board Information (RN-BSN, MSN, DNP)

National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) has links to the Board(s) of Nursing for states on https://www.ncsbn.org/contact-bon.htm.

Physician Assistant (MPAS)

PA State Licensing Boards

Physical Therapy (PT)

PT Licensing Authorities

Occupational Therapy (MOT, OTD)

Occupational Therapy Fieldwork Questions

Occupational Therapy Regulatory Authority Contact List

Counseling Psychology (MA)

State Professional Counselor Licensing Boards 

State Complaint Process Authorized for Online Programs Practical Experience Authorization SARA State Chatham University State Authorization status SHEO Survey links to states
Alabama Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. Alabama Survey
Alaska Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. Alaska Survey
Arizona Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. Arizona Survey
Arkansas Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. Arkansas Survey
California Yes Yes   Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. California Survey
Colorado Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. Students completing practicum must have workers compensation coverage regardless if they are paid or not. Contact Julie Yakes 303-318-8639, www.coworkforce.com, julie.yakes@state.co.us Colorado Survey
Connecticut Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. Connecticut Survey
Delaware Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. Delaware Survey
District of Columbia Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. District of Columbia Survey
Florida Yes Yes X Florida SARA status became effective on 10/1/2017 Florida Survey
Georgia Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. Georgia Survey
Hawaii Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. Hawaii Survey
Idaho Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. Students in the (MPAS) Physician Assistant program must register their clinical experiences with the state of Idaho prior to placement. Idaho Survey
Illinois Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. Illinois Survey
Indiana Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. Indiana Survey
Iowa Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. Iowa Survey
Kansas Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. Kansas Survey
Kentucky Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. Kentucky Survey
Louisiana Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. Louisiana Survey
Maine Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. Maine Survey
Maryland Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. A detailed annual report must be submitted to Maryland, reporting the number of students placed at each location. Maryland Survey
Massachusetts Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. Massachusetts Survey
Michigan Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. Michigan Survey
Minnesota Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. Minnesota Survey
Mississippi Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. Mississippi Survey
Missouri Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. Missouri Survey
Montana Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. Montana Survey
Nebraska Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. Nebraska Survey
Nevada Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. Nevada Survey
New Hampshire Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. New Hampshire Survey
New Jersey Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. New Jersey Survey
New Mexico Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. New Mexico Survey
New York Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online. All out of state field placements in licensed professions must seek prior approval from the New York State Office of Professions, opprogs@nysed.gov , 518 474-3817, ext. 360. New York Survey
North Carolina Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. North Carolina Survey
North Dakota Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. North Dakota Survey
Ohio Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. Ohio Survey
Oklahoma Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. Oklahoma Survey
Oregon Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. Oregon Survey
Pennsylvania Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. Pennsylvania Survey
Puerto Rico Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online programs. Clinical internships or experiences are not regulated by Puerto Rico Council on Education. Puerto Rico Survey
Rhode Island Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. Rhode Island Survey
South Carolina Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. South Carolina Survey
South Dakota Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. South Dakota Survey
Tennessee Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online programs and practicum experiences. If the practicum experience is student driven no authorization is necessary. Tennessee Survey
Texas Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. Texas Survey
U.S. Virgin Islands Yes Yes X VI does not regulate the authorization of post-secondary institutions. However, an institution must be accredited to operate in VI. No action necessary. U.S. Virgin Islands Survey
Utah Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. Utah Survey
Vermont Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. Vermont Survey
Virginia Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. Virginia Survey
Washington Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online. Cannot accept Nursing students yet. Application for Nursing programs in progress. Must disclose Washington State information to all students. Washington Survey
West Virginia Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. West Virginia Survey
Wisconsin Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. Wisconsin Survey
Wyoming Yes Yes X Approved for 100% online and practicum experiences. Wyoming Survey

 

 

Prospective Students: If you are considering an online academic program that will lead to a professional license in your state, it is highly recommended that you seek guidance from the appropriate licensing agency in your home state prior to beginning any online program.

Complaint Process: Recent federal legislation (Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008) require colleges and universities to provide students with information necessary to make informed decisions concerning their educational experiences. One important item relates to student complaints. It is Chatham University's goal to serve all of its students fairly and equitably. If you have a grievance with Chatham University, please use the appropriate link below to file a complaint.

More information is available about out of state authorization processes here.

For Maryland Residents Enrolled in Fully-Online Programs

Chatham University is registered with the Maryland Higher Education Commission to offer online programs.

Chatham University is subject to investigation of complaints by the Maryland Office of the Attorney General and the Maryland Higher Education Commission. If a student complaint has not been resolved through the University process as outlined in the Student Handbook, Maryland residents enrolled in fully-online programs should contact either of these following entities for additional assistance in resolution:

Maryland Higher Education Commission
6 N. Liberty St., 10th Floor
Baltimore, MD 21201

Office of the Attorney General
200 Saint Paul Place
Baltimore, MC 21202
410-528-8662

Refund Policy

(1) The minimum refund that an institution shall pay to a Maryland student who withdraws or is terminated after completing only a portion of a course, program, or term within the applicable billing period is as follows:

Proportion of Total Course, Program, or Term completed as of Date of Withdrawal or Termination Tuition Refund
Less than 10% 90% refund
10% up to but not including 20% 80% refund
20% up to but not including 30% 60% refund
30% up to but not including 40% 40% refund
40% up to but not including 60% 20% refund
More than 60% No refund

Additional Links & Resources