State Authorization
The University of Saint Francis is a private, not-for-profit Catholic institution located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Saint Francis is authorized by name by the State of Indiana. In compliance with federal and state regulations, Saint Francis is in a continuous process to monitor state laws that govern the offering of online programs and courses.
Online Learning Across the United States
The University of Saint Francis is approved by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA). SARA is an agreement among member states, districts, and territories that establishes comparable national standards for interstate offering of postsecondary distance education courses and programs.
The goal of this approach is to make it easier for students to take online courses offered by postsecondary institutions based in another state. States and institutions that choose to become members of SARA operate under a set of policies and standards that assure high-quality distance education practices at each member institution. These quality practices are overseen by the board of NC-SARA and are administered by four regional higher education compacts. Institutions that are members of SARA are authorized to provide online education to students from all SARA member states. SARA membership includes 49 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. For more information about SARA and its state and institutional membership, please visit https://nc-sara.org/directory.
Note: California does not belong to NC-SARA; USF is not required to be licensed by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education because the university has no physical presence in California.
Academic programs may not be approved in every state. Contact your academic advisor to verify program availability. Please review regulatory information and professional licensing requirements in your state of residence. For specific information regarding state authorization, approval, licensure or exemption, contact Gwen Hefty in the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness.
