Out-of-State Student Complaint Process for Online Courses

Wake Tech strives to provide a dynamic learning environment to ensure successful achievement of students' goals by administering sound policies, curricula, instruction and support services. In compliance with the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, institutions offering distance education courses or programs must provide current and prospective students with contact information for filing complaints with the college, its accrediting agency and the state agencies that handle complaints in the students’ states of residence.

Students residing outside North Carolina while taking online courses from Wake Tech who desire to resolve an academic grievance or complaint should first follow Wake Tech’s Student Grievance Procedure or the Student Complaint Procedure outlined in the Student Code of Conduct, Rights and Responsibilities section of the College Catalog (Select Code of Conduct tab; then read Section IV Student Code of Conduct. For general complaints, select Other Complaints tab; Section V).

Complaints should be filed via the online Student Complaint Reporting Form only when there is no other appeal or grievance procedure.

However, if for some reason the complaint is not satisfactorily resolved, the next step would be to file a complaint with Wake Tech’s accrediting agency. Wake Tech is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees, diplomas and certificates. The contact information for SACSCOC is:

1866 Southern Lane,
Decatur, GA 30033-4097
404-679-4500
www.sacscoc.org
Complaint process for SACSCOC

State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement-North Carolina
(SARA-NC) Complaint Process

Students may also file a complaint with SARA-NC. SARA-NC is the portal for the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority. Students should follow the SARA-NC complaint process and use the SARA-NC complaint form.

SARA-NC Contact Information:

SARA North Carolina
North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority
P.O. Box 41349
Raleigh, NC 27629
855-SARA-1-NC (727-2162) or 919-549-8614, ext. 4667
www.saranc.org

Complaint form
Complaint process

Students residing outside of North Carolina while taking online courses at Wake Tech may also file a complaint with their state. Below is a list of agencies in each state responsible for handling complaints regarding out-of-state distance education programs:

State	Agency	Contact information
Alabama	Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education	P.O. Box 302000 Montgomery, AL 36130-2000 Telephone: 334-242-1998 Fax: 334-242-0268 Complaint process
Alaska	Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education	Kierke Kussart Program Coordinator for Institutional Authorization 907-465-6741 [email protected] PO Box 110505 Juneau, AK 99811-0505 Complaint process
Arizona	Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education	1400 W. Washington St. Phoenix, AZ 85007 Complaint form
Arkansas	Arkansas Department of Higher Education	425 Main St., Suite 400 Little Rock, AR 72201 (501) 371-2000 www.adhe.edu Complaint form
California	California Department of Consumer Affairs	Consumer Information Center 1625 North Market Blvd., Suite N-112 Sacramento, CA 95834 (833) 942-1120 email: [email protected] www.dca.ca.gov/consumers/complaints/oos_students.shtml General online complaint form
Colorado	Colorado Department of Higher Education	1560 Broadway, Suite 1600 Denver, CO 80202 Complaint process
Connecticut	Office of Higher Education	61 Woodland St. Hartford, CT 06105‐2326 Telephone: 860-947-1822 Complaint process
Delaware	Delaware Department of Education	Delaware Department of Education Accountability and Performance The Townsend Building 401 Federal St., Suite 2 Dover, DE 19901 (302) 735-4090 doe.k12.de.us
District of Columbia	District of Columbia Education Licensure Commission	810 First St. NE 9^th Floor Washington, DC 20002 Complaint form
Florida	Florida Department of Education	Commission for Independent Education 325 W. Gaines St., Suite 1414 Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400 Fax: 850-245-3238 [email protected] Complaint process
Georgia	Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission	2082 E. Exchange Place, Suite 220 Tucker, GA 30084-5305 Telephone: 770-414-3300 Fax: 770-414-3309 Complaint rules
Hawaii	Hawaii Post-secondary Education Authorization Program	P.O. Box 541 Honolulu, HI 96809 Complaint form
Idaho	Idaho Board of Education	650 W. State St. P.O. Box 83720 Boise, ID 83720‐0037 Telephone: 208-334-2270 Fax: 208-334-2632 Complaint process
Illinois	Illinois Board of Higher Education	1 N. Old State Capitol Plaza, Suite 333 Springfield, IL 62701-1377 Institutional Complaint Hotline: 217-782-2551 Complaint process
Indiana	Indiana Board for Proprietary Education	Board for Proprietary Education Indiana Commission for Higher Education 101 W. Ohio St., Suite 300 Indianapolis, IN 46204-4206 (317) 464-4400 www.in.gov/che/2376.htm Student complaints Complaint process
Iowa	Iowa College Student Aid Commission	430 E. Grand Ave. 5^th Floor Des Moines, IA 50309-1920 Telephone: 515-725-3400 College aid Complaint process
Kansas	Kansas Board of Regents	1000 SW Jackson St., Suite 520 Topeka, KS 66612‐1368 Telephone: 785-296-3421 Complaint process
Kentucky	Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education	Director of Postsecondary Licensing Council on Postsecondary Education 1024 Capitol Center Drive Suite 320 Frankfort, KY 40601 Complaint process
Louisiana	Louisiana Board of Regents Consumer Protection Division Office of the Attorney General	Consumer Protection Division Office of the Attorney General P.O. Box 94005 Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9005 Telephone: 1-800-351-4889 Complaint process
Maine	State of Maine Department of Education	23 State House Station Augusta, ME, 04333-0023 www.maine.gov/doe/learning/highered/sara Complaint form
Maryland	Maryland Higher Education Commission	Office of the Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division 200 St. Paul Place Baltimore, MD 21202 Complaint process
Massachusetts	Massachusetts Board of Higher Education	Alex Nally SARA Coordinator Massachusetts Department of Higher Education One Ashburton Place; Room 1401 Boston, MA 02108 (617) 994-6950 [email protected] State SARA Website: mass.edu/sara Complaint process
Michigan	State of Michigan	Department of Licensing & Regulatory Affairs Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing Bureau Administrative Services Section-Complaint Intake P.O. Box 30018 Lansing, MI 48909 Complaint form
Minnesota	Registration & Licensing Minnesota Office of Higher Education	1450 Energy Park Drive, Suite 350 St. Paul, MN 55108 Telephone: 1-800-657-3866 Complaint process
Mississippi	Mississippi Commission on College Accreditation	3825 Ridgewood Road Jackson, MS 39211-6453 Telephone: 601-432-6372 Fax: 601-432-6225 Complaint process
Missouri	Missouri Department of Higher Education	205 Jefferson St. P.O. Box 1469 Jefferson City, MO 65102‐1469 Telephone: 1-800-473-6757 Fax: 573-751-6635 Complaint info
Montana	Montana University System Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education	2500 Broadway P.O. Box 203201 Helena, MT 59620-3201 Telephone: 406-444-6570 Complaint process
Nebraska	Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education	P.O. Box 95005 Lincoln, NE 68509-5005 Telephone: 402-471-2847 Filing a complaint
Nevada	Nevada Commission on Postsecondary Education	1860 E. Sahara Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89104 Telephone 702 486-7330 Commission website Complaint process
New Hampshire	New Hampshire Department of Education, Division of Higher Education, Higher Education	101 Pleasant St. Concord, NH 03301-3852 (603) 271-3494 Filing a complaint
New Jersey	New Jersey Secretary of Higher Education	20 W. State St., 4th Floor P.O. Box 542 Trenton, NJ 08625-0542 Telephone: 609-292-7225 Complaint process
New Mexico	New Mexico Higher Education Department	2044 Galisteo St., Suite 4 Santa Fe, NM 87505 Telephone: 505-476-8400 Complaint form
New York	Office of College and University Evaluation New York State Education Department	89 Washington Ave., Room 969 EBA Albany, NY 12234 Telephone: 518-474-1551 Fax: 518-486-2779 Filing a complaint
North Carolina	North Carolina Post-Secondary Education Complaints	North Carolina Post-Secondary Education Complaints c/o Student Complaints University of North Carolina System Office 910 Raleigh Road Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27515-2688 Phone: 919-962-4558 Websites: State of North Carolina complaint process Student complaint process Student complaint form North Carolina Post-Secondary Education Complaints Email: [email protected]
North Dakota	Director of Distance Education & State Authorization	600 E. Capital Ave. Bismarck, ND 58501-1217 Telephone: 701‐328‐2678 Filing a complaint
Ohio	Ohio Department of Higher Education	25 S. Front St. Columbus, OH 43215 Telephone: 614-466-6000 Filing a complaint
Oklahoma	Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education	655 Research Parkway, Suite 200 Oklahoma City, OK 73104 Telephone: 405-225-9100 Complaint process
Oregon	Higher Education Coordinating Commission	ATTN: Complaints-ODA 775 Court St. NE Salem, OR 97301 Telephone: 503-947-5716 Complaint process
Pennsylvania	Bureau of Postsecondary & Adult Education Pennsylvania Department of Education	333 Market St., 12th Floor Harrisburg, PA 17126‐0333 Complaint form
Puerto Rico	Puerto Rico Council on Higher Education	P.O. Box 19900 San Juan, PR 00910-1900 Telephone: 787-641-7100 Fax: 787-641-2562 Complaint process
Rhode Island	Commissioner of Higher Education Rhode Island Office of Higher Education	Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Commissioners 560 Jefferson Blvd., Suite 200 Warwick, RI 02886 Telephone: 401 736-1100 Complaint procedures Complaint form
South Carolina	South Carolina Commission on Higher Education Academic Affairs & Licensing	1122 Lady St., Suite 300 Columbia, SC 29201 Telephone: 803-737-2260 Fax: 803-737-2297 Complaint form
South Dakota	South Dakota Board of Regents	306 E. Capitol Ave., Suite 200 Pierre, SD 57501 Complaint form
Tennessee	Tennessee Higher Education Commission	Division of Postsecondary State Authorization 404 James Robertson Parkway, Suite 1900 Nashville, TN 37243 Telephone: 615-741-3605 Complaint process
Texas	Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board	College Readiness & Success Division P.O. Box 12788 Austin, TX 78711-2788 Telephone: 512-427-6101 Complaint process
Utah	Utah Division of Consumer Protection	Utah Division of Consumer Protection 160 East 300 South Salt Lake City, UT 84111 (801) 530-6601 Complaint process
Vermont	Vermont Department of Education	120 State St. Montpelier, VT 05620‐2501 Telephone: 802-828-3135 Complaint process
Virginia	Virginia State Council of Higher Education	101 N. 14th St., 10th Floor James Monroe Bldg. Richmond, VA 23219 Telephone: 804-225-2600 Complaint process
Washington	Washington Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board	Washington Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board 128 10th Ave. SW P.O. Box 43105 Olympia, WA 98504-3105 (360) 709-4600 Complaint process
West Virginia	West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission Community & Technical College System of West Virginia	1018 Kanawha Blvd. East, Suite 700 Charleston, WV 25301 Telephone: 304-558-4016 Complaint process
Wisconsin	Wisconsin Educational Approval Board	Department of Safety and Professional Services 1400 E. Washington Ave. Room 112 Madison, WI 53703 (608) 266-2122 Email: [email protected] Website: dsps.wi.gov/Pages/Programs/EducationalApproval/Default.aspx Student Complaints
Wyoming	Wyoming Department of Education	122 W. 25th St., Suite E200 Cheyenne, WY 82002 Telephone: 307 777-7675 Complaint form

Professional licensure

Currently, Wake Tech does not offer an online program that leads to professional licensure. The college’s licensure and certification programs are tied either to North Carolina or national certifications. Students seeking to complete licensure or certification programs with Wake Tech and planning to move to another state will need to contact that specific state's licensure board to learn how to obtain a license or certification in that particular state.

Also, you will need to contact the degree program administrator within Wake Tech directly, prior to enrolling in the course or degree program.

Online Learning

Resources

Out-of-State Student Complaint Process for Online Courses

State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement-North Carolina (SARA-NC) Complaint Process

Professional licensure

State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement-North Carolina
(SARA-NC) Complaint Process