South Dakota State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SD-SARA)

About SD-SARA

The South Dakota Board of Regents (SDBOR), on behalf of the State of South Dakota, has entered into an agreement to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA). South Dakota’s agreement is through the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), which is one of the four regional education compacts who administer SARA.

SDBOR has been designated by the state as the portal agency for SD-SARA and will administer SARA within South Dakota. SDBOR’s responsibilities as a portal agency include: accepting, reviewing, and submitting applications from South Dakota institutions wishing to participate in SARA, reviewing compliance, serving as liaison with SARA administrators from other states, and accepting and investigating student complaints.

NC-SARA establishes a state-level reciprocity process that supports the nation in its efforts to increase the educational attainment of its people by making state authorization more efficient, effective, and uniform. Membership in NC-SARA is voluntary for both states and institutions. Once a state becomes a member of NC-SARA, all degree-granting post-secondary institutions from all sectors (public colleges & universities; independent institutions, both non-profit and for-profit) accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education are eligible to participate in SARA. Institutions that participate in SARA are authorized in all states who are Members of NC-SARA. Membership is voluntary for both states and institutions.

SD-SARA Policy

SDBOR Policy 1:29 – South Dakota State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA)