1. (1) An institution desiring to participate in SARA shall submit to OCHE the following:

   1. (a) a completed Application and Approval Form for Institutional Participation in SARA that is approved by NC-SARA;
   2. (b) payment of the fee established by OCHE for administering SARA; and

   3. (c) the following documents verifying the statements made in the application:

      1. (i) evidence supporting the institution's statement that its principal campus or central administrative unit is located in Utah and that it is authorized to operate in Utah;
      2. (ii) evidence supporting the institution's statement that it is a degree-granting institution that is accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education;
      3. (iii) evidence that the institution has disaster recovery protocols for protection of student records;

      4. (iv) evidence showing:

         1. (A) each student is informed, before completing the enrollment process for an online course or program, of the student consumer complaint processes available to the student; and
         2. (B) the student complaint processes are clearly defined and can be used electronically;
      5. (v) evidence showing that each student, before completing the enrollment process for an educational program that is designed to meet educational requirements for a specific professional licensure or certification, or is advertised as meeting such requirements, is located in a state or U.S. territory where the educational programs meets professional licensure or certification educational requirements;
      6. (vi) if an educational program is designed to meet educational requirements for a specific professional license or certification that is required for employment in an occupation, or is advertised as meeting such requirements, a list of all states and U.S. territories where the institution has determined that the program does and does not meet such requirements;
      7. (vii) evidence of tuition assurance funds, surety bonds, teach-out provisions, or other assurances that OCHE deems sufficient to protect students that shows that the institution is capable of fulfilling its obligation with OCHE to provide a reasonable alternative for delivering the instruction or reimbursement of reasonable compensation in the event the institution cannot fully deliver the instruction for which the students have contracted; and
      8. (viii) for a non-public institution, evidence of the institution's financial responsibility index score from the Department of Education that is 1.5 or above, or if its score is between 1.0 and 1.5, evidence that the institution has obtained the surety required in Section R765-431-4. A non-public institution with a score below 1.0 will not be eligible to participate in SARA.

2. (2) Institutions desiring to continue participating in SARA after one year of the initial application shall submit to OCHE annually thereafter the following:

   1. (a) a completed UT SARA renewal application that includes a Renewal Application for Institutional Participation in SARA that is approved by NC-SARA within 30 days of receipt of notice from NC-SARA for opportunity to renew;
   2. (b) payment of the fee established by OCHE for administering SARA; and

   3. (c) the following documents verifying the statements made in the application:

      1. (i) evidence that the institution's principal campus or central administrative unit remains located in Utah and that the institution continues to be authorized to operate in Utah;
      2. (ii) evidence that the institution retains its accreditation by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education; and
      3. (iii) for a non-public institution, evidence of the institution's financial responsibility index score from the Department of Education.
3. (3) OCHE shall return the UT SARA application to the institution no later than 30 days after receipt of the initial or renewal application if further information is required from the institution. OCHE shall notify the institution no later than 30 days before an institution's NC-SARA renewal date of its decision to approve, place on provisional, or deny, the UT SARA application.
4. (4) If an institution's initial or renewal application is denied, OCHE shall provide to the applicant a written reason for the denial.
5. (5) If any information contained in the initial or renewal application becomes incorrect or incomplete while it is in effect, the institution shall, within 30 days after the information becomes incorrect or incomplete, correct the application or file the complete information as required by OCHE.

KEY: State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), NC-SARA

Date of Last Change: March 15, 2026

Notice of Continuation: March 5, 2026

Authorizing, and Implemented or Interpreted Law: 53H-1-703