The Current Conundrum of State Authorization for Online Education Programs and Clinical Placement

Postsecondary education institutions have enjoyed increased access to student populations with the advent of online programs. Diploma mills have also been able to proliferate in this newly realized and ever expanding academic market. In response, the US Department of Education implemented new regulations in 2010 that require institutions to adhere to state authorization requirements to continue eligibility to receive Title IV funding. The regulations were challenged in federal court and the regulations were rescinded, due to a failure to properly vet the regulations. The Department of Education has drafted and vetted a new set of regulations that have yet to be implemented. State authorization has left institutions scrambling to find a pragmatic solution to conform to the regulations, which has led to the creation of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements. These agreements permit states to acknowledge the accreditation merit of institutions from other states and satisfy federal requirements. It will likely be several years before the full effect of state authorization and online education will be realized.