Midwestern-State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement

The State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements, commonly known as SARA, provide a voluntary, regional approach to state oversight of postsecondary distance education. When states join SARA -- and membership is voluntary -- they agree to follow uniform processes for approving their eligible  institutions' participation in SARA. They also agree to deal with other states' SARA institutions in a common way when those institutions carry out activities in SARA states other than their own. SARA's uniform standards and policies provide benefits to both states and institutions carrying out distance education in multiple states. As of June 2024, 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands all voluntarily participate in SARA. Over 2,400 institutions participate, of which 664 institutions are in MHEC states.

As of August 12, 2016, eleven states are participating in the Midwestern State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (M-SARA): Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. South Dakota, also a MHEC member state, joined SARA through the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education.

In collaboration with the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) and the National Council for State Authorization Agreements (NC-SARA), the M-SARA Regional Steering Committee establishes and disseminates criteria for state participation and amends such criteria, as appropriate, over time.