Chamberlain University No Longer Eligible to Offer Distance Education in New York State
Chamberlain University No Longer Eligible to Offer Distance Education in New York State
Chamberlain University has lost eligibility to participate in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements, and consequently has lost its eligibility to offer distance education to students based in New York State.
What Are the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements?
State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA) is an agreement amongst member states, districts, and territories that establishes comparable national standards and streamlines regulations, fees, and approvals for institutions offering interstate distance education programs. More than 2,400 institutions in 49 member states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands all voluntarily participate in SARA.Ìý(Retrieved 12/6/2024 from the NC SARA ).
The eligibility requirements that colleges and universities must meet to participate in SARA include a provision that institutions maintain a of 1.5 or higher to remain in good standing. Institutions with scores between 1.0 and 1.5 may be allowed to participate provisionally, and institutions with scores below 1.0 are not eligible to participate in SARA. If an institution has a parent company, then that company’s score is used to determine eligibility. (See ).
What Happened?
Chamberlain’s parent company, Adtalem Global Education, Inc., maintained a composite score above 1.5 until 2022. However, on September 25, 2023, the U.S. Department of Education notified Adtalem that its composite score had declined to 0.2 for fiscal year 2022. Since the score is below the minimum threshold, Chamberlain did not seek renewal of its SARA participation with the Illinois Board of Higher Education. Chamberlain’s most recent SARA term expired on October 24, 2024. The university notified New York State on October 23, 2024, of its low federal financial responsibility composite score and therefore its loss of SARA eligibility. Direct authorization by the ̨ÍåÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ (̨ÍåÂãÁÄÖ±²¥) to offer distance education in New York State requires a minimum composite score of 1.5, making Chamberlain ineligible to obtain distance education authorization. If Adtalem Global Education, Inc., regains the necessary minimum composite score of 1.0 or higher, it would be eligible to apply to its home state to again become a SARA participant. The minimum period for any institution to reapply is 180 days after it has lost its eligibility.
Students’ Enrollment Status
̨ÍåÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ wishes to minimize the harm to students resulting from Chamberlain’s loss of SARA eligibility. ̨ÍåÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ has made the following determinations with regard to the continuation of New York State-based students’ studies at Chamberlain:
- The university may continue to enroll New York-based students who were enrolled in an online program at Chamberlain prior to December 5, 2024, until they complete their programs.
- The university may not continue to educate New York-based students who were not formally enrolled in an online program at Chamberlain prior to December 5, 2024.
- The university may not enroll new students that are based in New York State.
A Note about Authorization and Accreditation
Visit the Authorization and Accreditation webpage for information about how state authorization differs from institutional and programmatic accreditation.
Visit for information relating to its institutional and programmatic accreditations.