Board hears SARA report on distance‑education participation and policy changes

Jennifer Moore, reporting to the Kansas Board of Regents, summarized the annual SARA report and described membership, enrollment and placement statistics for participating Kansas institutions.

Moore said SARA, the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement, allows accredited institutions to offer distance education in member states without securing separate approval in each state. She reported membership remains steady with California the only state not participating in NC‑SARA and that 47 Kansas institutions participate.

Moore provided enrollment and placement figures from 2023: she said participating Kansas institutions reported more than 11,000 out‑of‑state students enrolled in Kansas SARA institutions (a decrease from the prior year), while more than 14,000 Kansans were reported as enrolled out of state. Out‑of‑state learning‑placement data, Moore said, showed more than 5,000 out‑of‑state students placed in Kansas and more than 4,200 Kansans placed out of state, with the majority of placements in health‑professions programs.

Moore told Regents the NC‑SARA policy modification process is underway; ten proposals previously approved by regional compacts are being considered at the national level to enhance student consumer protections and state oversight. She also said the U.S. Department of Education terminated a negotiated rulemaking process that had proposed regulatory changes affecting SARA and that NC‑SARA policy work informed that decision.

Regents asked about SARA’s durability and funding. Moore said NC‑SARA is a nonprofit funded by participating institutions’ fees and that she expects the agreement to remain a mission‑focused vehicle for interstate distance education.

Moore offered to answer questions and said staff will monitor federal regulatory developments and report back as needed.