State Authorization for Out-of-State, 100% Online Students
Prospective students may find professional licensure information by state at Professional Licensure and Certification Program Contacts / Disclosures.
A-B Tech is a member of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) which allows students to enroll in online distance education classes from most of the United States and several territories. The State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) is an agreement among member states, districts, and territories that establish comparable national standards for interstate offering of postsecondary distance education courses and programs. Institutions offering distance education courses or programs must provide current and prospective students with the contact information for filing complaints with the college, its accrediting agency, and the state agencies that handle complaints in the student's state of residence.
Students may reference the NC-SARA website to verify that A-B Technical Community College is authorized to offer Distance Learning courses in their state. Registration of students from states not included in NC-SARA may require additional time and information so please allow additional time for this process.
Students residing outside of the State of North Carolina while taking online courses from Asheville Buncombe Technical Community College, who desire to resolve an academic grievance or complaint, should first follow Asheville Buncombe Technical Community College's Student Complaint Process. The A-B Tech Student Complaint process can be reviewed on pages 47-48 of the course catalog. Please contact the office of the Interim Vice President for Student Services at fairleypatton@abtech.edu or (828) 398-7484, if you need further assistance with the complaint process.
A-B Tech and NC Post-Secondary Education Complaint Procedures
Academic Matters: Students enrolled in online/ distance courses at A-B Tech who have a complaint about grades, College decisions, or other A-B Tech procedures should follow the College's policies for Student Complaints and Grade Appeals, which are available to view in the Student Handbook (page 103) and College Catalog (page 49-52).
General Complaint Issues: Students should follow the process outlined in the Non-discrimination and Harassment Policy found in the Student Handbook (page 91) and also in the College Catalog (page 49).
SARA-NC Complaint Process
Students may also file a complaint through SARA NC. SARA North Carolina is a program of the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority. The State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) is an agreement among member states, districts, and territories that establish comparable national standards for interstate offering of postsecondary distance education courses and programs. The primary objectives of SARA are to make it easier for institutions in North Carolina to provide online and distance education options to students in other states and to provide basic protections for those students. SARA-NC Complaint Process and Complaint Form.
SARA-NC Contact Information:
SARA North Carolina
North Caroline State Education Assistance Authority
P.O. Box 41349
Raleigh, NC 27629
- Phone: (855) SARA-1-NC (727-2162)
- Phone: (919) 549-8614, ext. 4667
- Website: State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA)
- Email: information@saranc.org
Student Complaint Information by State and Agency
Students can submit complaints to:
Dr. Fairley Patton,
Interim Vice President for Student Services
340 Victoria Road
Asheville, NC 28801