Professional Licensure and State Authorization Process Guide

State Portal Entity The State Portal Entity (SPE) is designated or appointed in each state to act as a liaison between the educational institution(s) and SARA. This office is responsible for updating the SARA member institutions on policy changes as it relates to the NC-SARA guidelines. The SPE is also responsible for the review and approval of the institutional SARA membership applications. Mississippi Commission on College Accreditation On November 2, 2015, the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB ) approved Mississippi as a member state to participate in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), effective January 1, 2016. The Mississippi Commission on College Accreditation (MCCA) has been designated as the SPE for SARA. MCCA assumes the principal responsibility of ensuring that SARA policies are followed by the institutions they approve to participate in SARA. Institution participation is contingent upon approval and continued compliance under the agreement overseen by MCCA. Eligibility Requirements for Mississippi Institutions: • Be authorized to operate in Mississippi as an in-state postsecondary institution; • Be a degree-granting institution, awarding associate degrees or higher, accredited as a single entity by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, and whose scope of recognition, as specified by the U.S. Department of Education, includes distance education; • If not a public institution, document a federal financial responsibility composite score of at least 1.5 out of 3.0 on the USDE financial stability scale; and • Agree that, in cases where the institution cannot fully deliver the instruction for which a student has contracted, it will provide a reasonable alternative for delivering the instruction or reasonable financial compensation for the education the student did not receive. Contact Information for Mississippi’s SPE Ms. Menia Dykes Mississippi Commission for College Accreditation SPE Director of Accreditation Office of Academic and Student Affairs MS Institutions of Higher Learning 3825 Ridgewood Road Jackson, MS 39211 Office (601) 432-6372 | Fax (601) 432-6225

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Professional Licensure & State Authorization Process Guide