Student Complaint Process
Every student deserves a positive educational experience. Sometimes a student’s experience may not be what they anticipate, and the student may have a concern or a complaint.
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 by the state’s SARA-participating institutions, including the provision of false or misleading information.
A student has the right to lodge a complaint or grievance. The institution should ensure 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.
The student should begin the complaint process with the institution and if resolution is not found, the student would contact the institution’s home state SARA Portal Entity. NC-SARA maintains a directory of SARA State Portal Entities.
Here's an overview of How to File a SARA Student Complaint in a larger view format.
Additional information can be found in Section 4 of the SARA Policy Manual.
FAQs For Students About Filing a Complaint
If you are a student wanting to know more about how to file a SARA-related complaint, please reference this tip sheet of Frequently Asked Questions.
Student Complaint Reports
NC-SARA maintains and publishes information regarding student complaints that have been appealed to an institution's home state.
Complaint Reports by State