IMPORTANT NOTICES FOR DISTANCE EDUCATION STUDENTS
Villanova University is committed to offering courses and programs to a geographically diverse population of students. To do so, it must seek approval where necessary and applicable to offer postsecondary education to students while they are physically located outside of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
This page provides information on the status of the University’s authorization to offer its courses and programs to those located outside of the Commonwealth as well as the complaint process for these students. Our team continues to monitor this complex and dynamic environment and will update the guidance below as new information becomes available.
Villanova University is approved by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA). NC-SARA is a voluntary agreement among member states, districts, and territories that establishes standards for the reciprocal authorization of institutions providing postsecondary distance education across state lines. There are currently 49 member states (all but California) in addition to the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Students engaged in “distance education” may be participating in online courses/online programs outside of the Commonwealth, and/or they may be actively engaged in limited activities conducted for short periods on the ground outside of the Commonwealth. For purposes of NC-SARA, educational activity occurs where the student is physically located while enrolled in the program. For more information on the activities covered, the requirements of participation and the reciprocity agreement in general, please visit the NC-SARA website.
Participation in NC-SARA enables current students located in all member states and territories to participate in approved distance education offered by the College of Engineering, the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, the College of Professional Studies, the School of Business, the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing and the Charles Widger School of Law, subject to any state professional licensure board/agency requirements (see below section on Programs Leading to Professional Licensure). Given its private, non-profit, accredited status, Villanova is also exempt from any necessary registration in the state of California. As such, Villanova allows all its schools and colleges to engage in approved distance education in every state, subject to any state's professional licensure board/agency requirements (see section below on Programs Leading to Professional Licensure). Prospective and current students interested in participating in distance education while located outside of SARA states, SARA U.S. territories or California should inquire with the individual program departments regarding eligibility to enroll in specific programs of interest.
Students located outside the United States who are considering enrolling in a Villanova distance education program should thoroughly research the laws and regulations of the country in which they will be located at the time of study. Select countries have specific authorization guidelines and tax implications and others do not formally recognize online courses or programs offered by foreign institutions – conditions which could have implications on future employment, educational or professional licensing opportunities, among others. It is a student’s responsibility to research and seek the appropriate guidance regarding any pertinent non-U.S. laws and regulations or special requirements pertaining to online courses/programs offered by foreign institutions prior to enrolling.
Prospective or current students who plan to relocate while enrolled in distance education programs should discuss their plans with a program administrator to assess any potential impact on their course of study. Students who relocate to a state, territory or country in which their respective program is not currently authorized (by the state, territory, country, applicable professional licensing boards/agencies and/or other requisite organizations) may experience a delay in their studies, an impact in their eligibility for Title IV funding and/or may not be able to complete the program in which they initially enrolled. Students should seek guidance from their program administrator prior to relocation.
Educational and professional requirements for attaining specific licensures and/or certifications may be governed by state, territory and national boards/agencies and therefore may vary by location. These requirements may apply regardless of the program/course modality. Prior to enrolling in a course or program of study, students interested in obtaining a professional licensure and/or certification should understand the educational and professional prerequisites for obtaining the specific licensure and/or certification in their desired location of practice. To assist with this research, Villanova has created a specific website with this information for the programs it offers from which graduated students tend to then proceed to take U.S. state or territory-based professional licensures and/or certifications and provides related disclosures as required by law. For each area of study, an assessment is provided on whether the curriculum of Villanova’s respective program meets the educational requirements for the licensure and/or certification in the U.S. state/territory. If available, a link is also provided to a third-party source with additional information. This Villanova professional licensure/certification resource website is periodically refreshed, but please note the “Last Updated” date in each subject area. In addition, while this information is provided to assist students in their decision to pursue a specific course or program of study and review related professional licensure/certification requirements, it is highly recommended that students do not solely rely on this information and supplement it with their own independent research.
In addition, the University may limit enrollment in specific programs given state, territory, and national board/agency requirements on offering online education in the respective locations. Such restrictions will be noted on the program’s website and/or in the program’s application portal.
In addition to state boards/agencies, some professional licensures and/or certifications are governed by regional/national/international organizations. If applicable, please visit the website of the specific Villanova program of interest for more information on the requirements of these organizations and discuss any questions with a representative of the department.
Students enrolled in distance education programs should follow the University’s established internal complaint process.
Students residing in SARA member states and territories who are not satisfied with the outcome of the institutional process can appeal the decision to the Pennsylvania Department of Education by following the Student Complaint Procedures. Please note that complaints about grades and student conduct are governed entirely by Villanova’s institutional policies and the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. For more information on NC-SARA’s policies, please visit the SARA Student complaints webpage.
Students can also contact the appropriate agency in their home state or territory. For a complete list of consumer complaint contact information by state or territory, please reference this list.
Once a distance education program is reviewed by a state with such a requirement, some states request that an institution post specific notifications on their website. Any such notification requests can be found in this section:
Washington
Villanova University is approved by the Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission to conduct practice experiences in the State of Washington for the Post-Master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice Program.