The State Authorization Network

Federal News:

• Intent to establish negotiated rulemaking committees (Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education)-
  • Rulemaking Committees:
    • Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) Committee addressing loan issues.
      • Negotiator Nominations for this committee are accepted through August 25, 2025, to nominationsfederalstudentloans@ed.gov.
    • Accountability in Higher Education and Access through Demand-driven Workforce Pell (AHEAD) Committee addressing institutional and program accountability, Pell Grants, and other issues.
      • Negotiator Nominations for this committee are accepted through August 25, 2025, to negregnominations@ed.gov.
  • Public Hearing and Written Public Comment Opportunities:
    • Virtual Public Hearing August 7, 2025, 9 am-4 pm ET.
    • Written Public Comments accepted through August 25, 2025, using the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov.
• New York v. McMahon - U.S. Supreme Court 6-3 decision overruled the federal appeals court ruling to allow a preliminary injunction to halt the ED layoffs pending the final determination of the case.  The effect of the ruling allows the Trump administration to proceed with the RIF of the U.S. Department of ED while determination of the judicial challenge to the action continues in the lower courts.

SAN Training Opportunities and SAN New Resources!

• SANBox Learning Center - courses and workshops
  • SAN - State Authorization Foundations Course (8-week Online Fundamentals Course) Registration is OPEN!
    • Register Now!
    • When:  Cohort #2 - August 19, 2025- October 13, 2025
    • Where:  Virtual, Asynchronous, Weekly Assignments
    • Member and Non-Member Rates!
    • Details and Registration Information
• New SAN Handbook - State to State Institutional Approval for Distance Education Handbook directs institutions to develop a compliance plan to obtain any necessary state approvals to offer interstate distance education outside of the institution’s home state. This handbook is designed for institutions operating outside of reciprocity through SARA. The new handbook is a must-read for California institutions with students located outside of California.

Frontiers Posts:

• Securing Support, Building Trust:  Why Buy-In Matters in Compliance; July 31, 2025; Jana Walser-Smith
• What the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" Means for Digital Learning in Higher Education; July 22, 2025; Cheryl Dowd

Other Resources:

• Webinar Recording:  Shaping the Future: Policy, Advocacy, and Impact for Military Learners; American Council on Education (ACE); June 25, 2025
• Two-Page Resource Document:  Busting the Myths about SARA; NC-SARA; July 24, 2025

WCET Annual Meeting + SAN Coordinator Meeting (in person):  Registration is Open!

• Dates: October 20 SAN Coordinator Meeting; October 21-23 WCET Annual Meeting; October 23-24 ASWE Rise
• Location:  Denver, Colorado
• Several SAN members will be presenting!

Open Forum - 2nd Tuesday of each month. August 12, 2025! Time: 10AM Alaska, 11AM Pacific, Noon Mountain, 1PM Central, 2PM Eastern; Register Each Month:  August Registration Link!  August Topic: Federal Update: Regulatory Developments, Judicial & Legislative Impacts; August Experts: Thompson Coburn – Scott Goldschmidt, Lorrie Hargrove, Anna Krouse. Open Forum is not typically recorded. 

Introductory material to understand the foundation of state authorization compliance.