
The State Authorization Network
The leader for guidance and support for navigating state and federal regulatory compliance for out-of-state activities of postsecondary institutions.
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News & Events (August)
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.
- Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) Committee addressing loan issues.
- Public Hearing and Written Public Comment Opportunities:
- Virtual Public Hearing August 7, 2025, 9 am-4 pm ET.
- Written Public Comments accepted through August 28, 2025,(amended) using the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov.
- Corrected Docket ID: ED-2025-OPE-0151
- Rulemaking Committees:
- 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
- SAN - State Authorization Foundations Course (8-week Online Fundamentals Course) Registration is OPEN!
- 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.
Quick Links
Access to Key Areas of the SAN website:
- Are you new or relatively new to the issue of out-of-state activity compliance? Start Here with State Authorization 101 which leads to How it Works and Why Comply. Topical one/two pagers and charts are found on Getting Started page.
- Topic Areas: Nine key subject areas can be accessed through the 9 tiles on this website homepage as you scroll down this page or from the Resources tab drop down at the top of the webpage.
- Website login information is provided to SAN members by the SAN Coordinators for your SAN Membership. Login is required for member only resources noted as requiring SAN Member login.
- SAN Coordinators (managers of SAN memberships) SAN Membership Coordinator Welcome Information
Communication Platform for SAN member email updates and SAN discussions - use MIX. Important links to use MIX:
- SAN Monthly eNewsletters - archived on Mix in the SAN News & Announcements Group note the Newsletters Tab.
- Mix Help/FAQ's.
- Member-Only Community Overview
- MIX Community Rules of Use and Standards of Etiquette
- Subscribe form
- SAN Resources are located on the SAN website not within MIX.
U.S. Department of Education Knowledge Center Home - access to notices, Dear Colleague Letters, FSA Handbook, etc.
WCET Frontiers - articles digital technology practice and policy for post-secondary education.
WCET Jobs Posts Webpage & Sample State Auth. Related Job Descriptions HERE.
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How We Help
SAN sponsored analysis, best practices, training, timely updates, and resources are provided for SAN Members.
State Authorization 101
Introductory material to understand the foundation of state authorization compliance.
Membership
Members share information and obtain direction and assistance through:
- Training workshops and webcasts.
- Discussions with regulators and experts.
- Monthly calls , email discussions, and face to face meetings.
- Research reports and state-by-state analyses.
- Reciprocity advice.
Latest Resources
Securing Support, Building Trust: Why Buy-In Matters in Compliance
State to State Institutional Approval for Distance Education Handbook
2025-2026 SAN Advisory Group Nominee List
July 22, 2025 SAN Coordinator Call