Professional Licensure and State Authorization Process Guide

Definitions • Certification: Refers to a function administered by a nongovernmental organization, which is intended to further recognize professional competence based on having met the quality standards of the organization. The prevalence and relevance of certification varies by profession. • Current Students: Students who are currently enrolled at a Mississippi community college. • Licensure Program Liaison: Serves as the college’s primary point of contact for Professional Licensure and State Authorization compliance, provides information and documentation, and is responsible for submission uploaded in Canvas. • Licensure: Refers to an official process, administered by a state-level authority that is required by law in order for an individual to practice a regulated profession. • Location Policy: An institution must develop a defensible policy and process for determining the location of the student, including at the time of initial enrollment in a program and when there is any change of location as indicated by the formal receipt of information from the student. • Location: The state in which the student is located while participating in a Mississippi community college educational program. • Professional Licensure Disclosure: The U. S. Department of Education requires all colleges and universities to communicate publicly and directly to prospective and current students by providing them with a professional licensure disclosure about: o Educational programs that will not fulfill educational requirements for a specific professional licensure that is required for employment in that field; and o Educational programs that do not meet the education requirements for licensure or for which an institution cannot determine if the program meet the educational requirements for each state and U.S. territory for all delivery modes of the program. • Professional Licensure Program: A program customarily leading to licensure is an educational program offered by institutions of higher learning designed, marketed, and/or advertised to meet educational requirements: o For a specific license or certification; and o Is required for employment in an occupation. • Prospective Students: Students who have applied for admission to a Mississippi community college, but who have not yet enrolled. • Residence: The state in which the student has legal residence. • SARA : State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement. • State Portal Entity: The entity that is designated or appointed in each state to act as a liaison between the educational institution(s) and SARA. The MCCA serves as Mississippi’s SPE. • Time of Enrollment: The student's enrollment into any educational program and not the time of the student's initial application to the institution.

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Professional Licensure & State Authorization Process Guide