Florida is a member of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC-SARA) and AdventHealth University is an approved SARA institution. SARA allows institutions to offer distance education courses and programs to other SARA participating institutions and ensures adherence to national standards for postsecondary distance education. We work through the SARA process and with states to ensure that when authorization or licensure of online programs is necessary, required approvals are secured.
It is the student’s responsibility to understand the current status or special requirements related to the authorization of distance education in their state of residence. For more information about SARA, please visit http://www.nc-sara.org.
Refer to Student Concern and Grievance Procedure for information about AdventHealth University’s complaint process.
Professional Licensure Considerations
The curriculum for several degree programs at AdventHealth University have been designed to meet the licensure/certification requirements in Florida and prepare students to sit for licensure exams in Florida. The various licensure boards in each state are responsible for setting requirements for licensure/certification in their state and distance students with intent of returning or moving to any state other than Florida should be aware of the unique requirements for that state.
If considering an academic program that leads to a professional licensure (example: Nursing), it is recommended students first contact the appropriate licensing agency in their home state prior to starting a program outside their state of residency. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the appropriate licensing entity in the student’s home state to confirm whether an AHU program will meet the requirements for licensure in that state. Although a program may be available in your resident state, there may be additional obligations required by the institution and AHU has the right to determine if program will be available in state of residence. AHU is unable to confirm whether programs meet all the requirements for licensure in any other state besides Florida.
Students seeking to establish licensure outside the state of Florida can find information pertaining to the licensure requirements in your state. You are encouraged to engage with an academic advisor prior to beginning any online academic program that would lead to licensure, in order to best understand the licensure program in your intended state of residence.
Disclaimer
Though SARA authorizes the University to offer its programs in member states, there is the possibility that other state requirements not covered by SARA (such as requirements from state licensing boards) could necessitate the restriction of certain programs in certain states. Please note that should you choose to enroll in a restricted program in a particular state, there may be restrictions that could affect you. Examples could include:
- you may be unable to sit for local licensing in that state
- you may be ineligible for consumer protection that state
- you may not be able to complete field placements (practicum, internship, clerkship, etc.) in that state. This could affect licensure or recognition of the degree to meet particular requirements in that state.
Additionally, if you move during the course of your studies to a state where your program is restricted, please be aware that you are taking a risk that you may not be able to complete that program or use any of the credit earned in that program should you decide to pursue licensing in that field in that state. Please note that the risks listed above are not exhaustive. Please verify with your state’s professional licensing board that your plans are not impacted by these risks.