Responses Last Confirmed:

Iowa Department of Education’s Bureau of Iowa College Aid

Agency Information

Guide Topics

Agency Contact

Lisa Pundt, SARA State Portal Agent/Postsecondary Authorization Administrator
515-725-3426
lisa.pundt@iowa.gov

Additional Contact

Bureau of Iowa College Aid
877-272-4456
stateauthorization@iowa.gov

Secretary of State Contact

Paul D. Pate
888-767-8683
sos@sos.iowa.gov
Topic

1: Important Agency Information to Note

a.
Provide any important information about your agency.

https://educate.iowa.gov/higher-ed/authorization

Topic

2: Types of Educational Providers Authorized

a.
Indicate the types of institutions that your agency authorizes. Please provide a short explanation of any ambiguity in the comment section below.

_X___    Public, in-state degree granting institutions
_X___    Public, out-of-state degree granting institutions        
_X___    Private, in-state, not-for-profit degree granting institutions 
_X___    Private, out-of-state, not-for-profit degree granting institutions    
_X___    Private, in-state, for-profit degree granting institutions
_X___    Private, out-of-state, for-profit degree granting institutions
_X___    Public, in-state, non-degree granting institutions
_X___    Public, out-of-state, non-degree granting institutions
_X___    Non-degree, not-for profit institutions
_X___    Non-degree, for-profit institutions
_X___    Religious institutions
_X___    Tribally-controlled institutions
_____    Federal Institutions
_____    Municipal institutions

b.
Does your agency authorize specific academic programs offered by institutions, only institutions themselves, or both?

_X___ Institution   _____ Program   _____ Both

c.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

3: Accreditation

a.
Is accreditation required for an institution to be authorized in your state?

Degree granting institutions must be accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the US Department of Education.

b.
If yes, please check all that apply as appropriate.

No response provided

Accreditation Required for:
____ Public, out-of-state degree granting institutions
____ Private, in-state, not-for-profit degree granting institutions
____ Private, out-of-state, not-for-profit degree granting institutions
____ Private, in-state, for-profit degree granting institutions
____ Private, out-of-state, for-profit degree granting institutions
____ Public, in-state, non-degree granting institutions
____ Public, out-of-state, non-degree granting institutions
____ Non-degree, not-for profit institutions
____ Non-degree, for-profit institutions
____ Religious institutions
____ Tribally-controlled institutions
____ Federal Institutions
____ Municipal institutions

c.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

4: Exemptions

a.
Are certain institutions or programs exempt by law or policy from your state authorization requirements?

See Bureau of Iowa College Aid's website at https://educate.iowa.gov/higher-ed/authorization

b.
If yes, for what types of institutions? Which types of programs?

No response provided

c.
Web link for exemptions.

No response provided

d.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

5: Authorization of Distance Education

a.
Does your agency require purely online programs offered by out-of-state institutions to be authorized without regard to physical presence?

See Bureau of Iowa College Aid's website at https://educate.iowa.gov/higher-ed/authorization

b.
If not, does your agency determine whether an institution must be authorized based on a physical presence (“operating”) standard?

No response provided

c.
Does your agency require correspondence study programs to be authorized without regard to physical presence?

No response provided

d.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

6: Physical Presence Policy

a.
If your agency uses a physical presence standard, how does your agency define physical presence?

“Presence” means a location in Iowa at which a student participates in any structured activity related to a school’s distance education course of instruction, with the exception of proctored examinations. “Presence” also means an address, location, telephone number, or internet protocol address in Iowa from which a school conducts any aspect of its operations. For the purpose of a residential course of instruction offered on a school’s campus that is not located in Iowa, “presence” does not include:

a. Occasional, short-term activities conducted at a location in Iowa for the purpose of recruiting students for the school’s residential course of instruction.

b. A residency, practicum, internship, clinical, or similar experience that the school permits the student to participate in at a location in Iowa, provided that a person who provides instruction or supervision at the Iowa location is not compensated by the school.

b.
Web link for physical presence definition.

https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/ico/chapter/261B.pdf

c.
Clarifying comments:

Schools that have questions about authorization in Iowa or require further information are encouraged to contact the Postsecondary Authorization Team at stateauthorization@iowa.gov.

Topic

7: Student Complaints - SARA Participating Institutions

a.
Please describe the process for handling complaints about SARA participating Institutions.

Student complaint information can be found at https://educate.iowa.gov/higher-ed/student-complaints

b.
Is the process handled all within your agency or do you divide consumer protection and student complaint duties dependent on the type of institution (Public, Private, Technical, etc.)?

All student complaints are handled within our agency.

c.
Web link for student complaints – SARA participating institutions.

https://educate.iowa.gov/higher-ed/student-complaints

d.
Who is the contact person at your agency for receiving complaints?

Contact Name: Postsecondary Authorization Team
Title: Postsecondary Authorization Administrators
Agency: Iowa College Student Aid Commission
Address: 475 SW 5th Street Ste D, Des Moines, Iowa 50309
Email: stateauthorization@iowa.gov
Phone: 877-272-4456
URL: https://educate.iowa.gov/higher-ed/student-complaints

e.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

8: Student Complaints - Non-SARA Participating Institutions

a.
Please describe the process for handling complaints about out-of-state postsecondary institutions or programs?

Student complaint information can be found at https://educate.iowa.gov/higher-ed/student-complaints

b.
Is the process handled all within your agency or do you divide consumer protection and student complaint duties dependent on the type of institution (Public, Private, Technical, etc.)?

All student complaints are handled within our agency.

c.
Does this complaint process extend to institutions not authorized by the agency that may enroll residents of the state (such as explicitly distance education programs with no physical presence or exempt institutions)?

Not applicable

d.
Who is the contact person at your agency for receiving complaints?

Contact Name: Postsecondary Authorization Team
Title: Postsecondary Authorization Administrators
Agency: Iowa College Student Aid Commission
Address: 475 SW 5th Street Ste D, Des Moines, Iowa 50309
Email: stateauthorization@iowa.gov
Phone: 877-272-4456
URL: https://educate.iowa.gov/higher-ed/student-complaints

e.
Web link for the complaint form.

https://educate.iowa.gov/higher-ed/student-complaints

f.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

9: Surety Bonds

a.
Does your state require a Surety Bond for authorized out-of-state institutions?

Authorized SARA participating institutions are not required to obtain a surety bond.

For other institutions, Iowa Code Section 714.18, requires that every person, firm, association, or corporation that maintains or conducts in Iowa any course of instruction via classroom instruction, correspondence or distance education, or that solicits in Iowa the sale of such a course, must file evidence of financial responsibility with Iowa College Aid and reapply to demonstrate continuing compliance, at a minimum, every two years. 

These requirements include schools and education providers located in Iowa and out-of-state that offer courses and programs via in-person or distance education instructional methods.

b.
Web link for surety bonds.

https://educate.iowa.gov/higher-ed/authorization/financial-responsibility

c.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

10: Tuition Refund Policy

a.
Does your state have a Tuition Refund Policy Requirement?

Yes. Under Iowa Code Section 714.23, tuition refund policies apply to a refund (i.e., reduction) of tuition charges the school assesses, regardless of whether and to what extent those charges have been paid by the student or some source of financial aid.

b.
If yes, for what types of institutions?

Certain for-profit institutions are required to adopt the Iowa tuition refund policy under Iowa Code Section 714.23, see https://educate.iowa.gov/higher-ed/authorization/tuition-refunds for more information.

c.
Web link for tuition refund policy.

https://educate.iowa.gov/higher-ed/authorization/tuition-refunds

d.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

11: Student Tuition Recovery Fund

a.
Does your state have a Student Tuition Recovery Fund (or similar fund for school closure)?

Yes

b.
If yes, for what types of institutions?

No response provided

c.
Web link for student tuition recovery fund.

https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/2023/261B.8.pdf

d.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

12: Reporting

a.
What kinds of information or data must an institution report to your agency as a condition for continued out-of-state authorization?

Not applicable

b.
How frequently do institutions report data?

No response provided

c.
Is this information published or shared publicly?

No response provided

d.
Web link for reporting.

No response provided

e.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

13: Enforcement

a.
What are possible consequences of institutional non-compliance?

No response provided

b.
Web link for enforcement information.

No response provided

c.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

14: Application Process

a.
Please provide a short description of the application process to obtain state authorization.

See Bureau of Iowa College Aid's website at https://educate.iowa.gov/higher-ed/authorization

b.
Web link for application.

https://educate.iowa.gov/higher-ed/authorization

c.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

15: Fees Associated with Authorization

a.
Is there an application fee associated with the authorization process?

See Bureau of Iowa College Aid's website at https://educate.iowa.gov/higher-ed/authorization

b.
If yes, what is the fee or fee schedule?

https://educate.iowa.gov/higher-ed/authorization

c.
Web link for fee information.

https://educate.iowa.gov/higher-ed/authorization

d.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

16: Records Retention

a.
When a school closes, what is the process your state uses to ensure that transcripts/records are kept available?

The University of Iowa retains transcripts/records for Iowa’s closed schools, with some restrictions. See Iowa Code Section 264.1 https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/2023/264.1.pdf

b.
From what agency do students request their transcripts/records from a closed school?

Agency Name: University of Iowa
Contact Person: Office of the Registrar
Contact Phone: 319-335-0229
Contact Address: 2700 University Capital Centre (UCC) Iowa City, Iowa 52242
Contact Email:
Contact website:

c.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

17: Additional Information

a.
Is there anything else about the authorization process in your state that we and others ought to know about?

No response provided