State Authorizations

State and federal law requires colleges and universities to be authorized to offer online degree programs in states other than their own.

To help oversee the delivery of postsecondary distance education, The National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) has established comparable national standards for interstate offering of distance-education courses and programs. NC-SARA is intended to make it easier for students to take online courses offered by postsecondary institutions based in another state.

New York State participates in SARA and Russell Sage College is an approved SARA institution. This approval allows Russell Sage College to accept students and deliver online education to students who reside in other NC-SARA participating states.

California is the only state currently not participating in NC-SARA. Russell Sage College is able to accept students from California, but this may change if California introduces new legislation regarding distance learning.

Russell Sage College may ultimately choose not to seek approval in non-NC-SARA states due to the cost of registering. In such cases, Russell Sage College will not be able to accept students from those states.

Complaint Process
Russell Sage College is dedicated to providing the best-possible student experience throughout your college years. When an issue is brought to our attention, Russell Sage College will intervene in the matter to seek resolution. Most complaints can be resolved utilizing the internal processes available.

To submit a Student complaint relating to consumer protection laws please complete the Student Complaint form available below.  Your form will then be sent to the appropriate office for review and you will be contacted in a timely manner with a resolution to your complaint.

A student has the right to lodge a complaint or grievance. Russell Sage College ensures that all concerns and complaints of students are addressed fairly and are resolved promptly. Student complaints relating to consumer protection laws offered under the terms and conditions of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), must first be filed with the institution to seek resolution.

In the event that the complaint is not resolved utilizing the internal complaint processes the SARA consumer protection provisions require the institution’s home state, through its SARA State Portal Entity, to investigate and resolve allegations of dishonest or fraudulent activity including the provision of false or misleading information. NC-SARA complaint process provides the student with a diagram of how the complaint process should be handled. SARA policies do not cover complaints related to grades or student conduct violations. 

For Russell Sage College; the SARA State Portal Entity is New York State SARA portal. Students may appeal the institution decision to the SARA State Portal Entity in New York State within two years of the incident about which the complaint is made. New York State Education Department Complaint Webpage.

If you are an online or distance-education student, contact NYSED.

Andrea Richards
Supervisor of Higher Education Programs
Office of College and University Evaluation
New York State Education Department
518-474-1551 | [email protected]

Complaint Process Non-SARA State
Please see below for complaint information if you reside in California.

California
Status: Russell Sage College is not required to seek approval from the Bureau for Private Post secondary Education and can offer 100% online programs to residents of California with no restrictions. Internships, externships and clinical placements are permitted in California for online and campus-based courses and programs.

Student Complaint Process Contact:
California Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education
PO Box 980818
West Sacramento, CA  95798-0818
[email protected]

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