Dive Brief:

• New York is poised to join 36 other states that have signed on to an agreement by the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements, which regulates online education program expansion by taking some authority away from individual states.
• The New York Times reports the state education commissioner is expected to sign the agreement, which has already been approved by the legislature and the governor, but consumer advocates say it could put the state’s most vulnerable students at risk of harm by poorly operated for-profit colleges.
• The agreement itself, supported by public, private, nonprofit, and for-profit colleges, would make it easier for schools to expand online programming by permitting the school’s home state to regulate enrollment rather than requiring state-by-state permissions — but critics say it will inhibit New York’s ability to hold bad actors accountable.

Dive Insight:

While SARAs make it easier for colleges of all types to expand their reach, the actions of many for-profits have tainted the agreements among student advocates, who loathe any loss of regulatory power. New York is one of the states that does not currently regulate out-of-state online colleges, but opponents say signing onto NC-SARA would prohibit it from ever doing so. The organization, however, says it has high standards for allowing colleges to participate, including requiring financial health.

In December, Maine became one of the latest states to join a SARA, signing onto an agreement with colleges in the New England region. Massachusetts has remained notably absent from such a coalition, as have California and Wisconsin.