Distance Education Student Grievance Information
Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act includes regulations regarding the delivery of distance education to out-of-state residents.
The United States Department of Education (USDOE) requires that institutions comply with any applicable state approval or licensure requirements in each state to which distance education instruction is delivered. Some states require universities to seek approval before enrolling their residents, and the approval processes can be expensive and time intensive. Tarleton is working to obtain authorization to enroll students from other states. However, due to authorization and review processes associated with some states, we may be limited in our ability to accept some distance learning course enrollments.
Please contact ecampus@tarleton.edu to inquire about the current status of your state with regard to this USDOE state authorization requirement. Depending on the status of your state of residence regarding this requirement, Tarleton State University may notify you that you are not eligible to register for Tarleton State University distance learning courses.
Additionally, students have the right to file a complaint against an institution when these requirements are not followed or regarding the loss of tuition and fees as a result of an unfair business practice. Institutions must provide current and prospective students with contact information for filing complaints with its accrediting body and the appropriate state agency for handling complaints in a student’s state.
Tarleton State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS) to award the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees.
In most cases, these complaint procedures require the student to exhaust all complaint avenues internal to the institution before a grievance can be filed at the State or accrediting agency level. Tarleton students are advised to attempt to resolve complaints with the Tarleton faculty and administration. For more information or questions, contact ecampus@tarleton.edu.
If you have a complaint about Tarleton State University's distance education programs, contact the appropriate authority in your state of residence. Below is a list of available complaint process information for all states. The State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) also maintains an up-to-date list of this contact information.
You may also file a complaint with Tarleton State University's regional accrediting agency, SACS. Complete the Commission’s Complaint Form and send two print copies to the President, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097.
| State | Link to Complaint Process* |
|---|---|
| Alabama | N/A Alabama Commission on Higher Education |
| Alaska | N/A Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education |
| Arizona | A.R.S. § 32-3052 and A.A.C. R4-39-403 Arizona Complaint Process |
| Arkansas | Arkansas Complaint Process |
| California | California Complaint Process |
| Colorado | Colorado Complaint Process |
| Connecticut | Connecticut Complaint Process |
| Delaware | N/A Delaware Department of Education. |
| District of Columbia | For complaint process see section 2115 of regulations at the District of Columbia Register |
| Florida | N/A Florida Complaint Process |
| Georgia | Georgia Complaint Process |
| Hawaii | Hawaii Complaint Process |
| Idaho | Idaho Complaint Process |
| Illinois | Use institutional ombudsman/Dean/Department head/provost - hotline 217-782-2551 or Illinois Board of Higher Education |
| Indiana | Indiana Complaint Process |
| Iowa | Iowa Complaint Process |
| Kansas | Kansas Complaint Process |
| Kentucky | Section 13 of Kentucky Complaint Process |
| Louisiana | N/A State of Louisiana Board of Regents |
| Maine | N/A State of Maine, Department of Education |
| Maryland | N/A Maryland Higher Education Commission |
| Massachusetts | Massachusetts Student Complaint Process |
| Michigan | Michigan Complaint Process |
| Minnesota | Minnesota Complaint Process |
| Mississippi | N/A Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning |
| Missouri | While the department does require students to pursue resolution through institutional processes, which are required as part of the licensure standards, the department does maintain a process for the review of student complaints at licensed schools. Information about that process is not currently available from the department’s website but is distributed to students upon request. Missouri Department of Higher Education |
| Montana | N/A Montana University System |
| Nebraska | Not available online. |
| Nevada | Nevada Complaint Process |
| New Hampshire | Complaints regarding non-compliance with agency New Hampshire Code of Administrative Rules, made to Executive Director of the Commission. New Hampshire Postsecondary Education Commission Complaints page |
| New Jersey | N/A State of New Jersey Commission on Higher Education |
| New Mexico | N/A New Mexico Higher Education Department |
| New York | New York Complaint Process |
| North Carolina | If the complaint cannot be resolved after exhausting the institution’s grievance procedure, the student may file a complaint with the following office: Post-Secondary Education Complaints, c/o Assistant Director of Licensure and Workforce Studies, University of North Carolina General Administration. 910 Raleigh Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27515-2688, telephone (919) 962-4558. The student may contact UNC General Administration for further details. The Board of Governors, The University of North Carolina |
| North Dakota | N/A North Dakota Department of Career and Technical Education |
| Ohio | Not available online. The Ohio Board of Regents |
| Oklahoma | N/A Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education |
| Oregon | N/A Oregon Student Assistance Commission, Office of Degree Authorization. |
| Pennsylvania | N/A Pennsylvania Department of Education. |
| Rhode Island | N/A Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education. |
| South Carolina | South Carolina Complaint Process |
| South Dakota | N/A South Dakota Complaint Process |
| Tennessee | The complaint form may be uploaded from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission |
| Texas | N/A Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board |
| Utah | Utah Complaint Process |
| Vermont | N/A State of Vermont, Department of Education |
| Virginia | State Council of Higher Education for Virginia Student Complaint Information Sheet |
| Washington | Washington Complaint Process |
| West Virginia | N/A West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission |
| Wyoming | N/A Wyoming Department of Education |
* Where a complaint process was not found, a URL to the web site of the corresponding agency in that state is provided.
Updated:08/04/11
Some states require universities to seek approval before enrolling their residents, and the approval processes can be expensive and time intensive. Tarleton is working to obtain authorization to enroll students from other states. However, due to authorization and review processes associated with some states, we may be limited in our ability to accept some distance learning course enrollments.
Please contact ecampus@tarleton.edu to inquire about the current status of your state with regard to this USDOE state authorization requirement. Depending on the status of your state of residence regarding this requirement, Tarleton State University may notify you that you are not eligible to register for Tarleton State University distance learning courses.
Additionally,