Student Complaints

SARA Student Complaint Resolution Process

Geneva College is an approved SARA-participating institution in Pennsylvania and follows the complaint resolution policies and procedures outlined within the SARA Policy Manual. SARA consumer protection provisions require the institution’s home state, through its SARA State Portal Entity, to investigate and resolve allegations of dishonest or fraudulent activity by the state’s SARA-participating institutions, including the provision of false or misleading information. Consumer protection complaints resulting from distance education courses, activities, and operations provided by Geneva College to students in other SARA-participating states come under the scope of SARA. Complaints about Geneva College’s in-state operations are to be resolved under the state’s normal provisions, not those of SARA.

A student complaint or grievance must first be submitted to Geneva College for investigation and resolution, following the appropriate grievance and/or appeal process(es) as outlined in the College Catalog. If a resolution is not found, a student residing in a SARA-participating state may contact the Pennsylvania SARA State Portal Entity. This policy is strictly related to violations of SARA policy and does not cover complaints related to academic decisions (e.g., grades, academic probation) or student conduct violations, both of which are to be addressed under institutional policies.

For a list of each state agency and relevant contact information, please see below. For the most updated list of SARA State Portal Entity Contacts, please visit NC-SARA’s website.

Student Complaint Contact Information by State and Agency

State	Agency	Link to Complaint Process
Alabama	Alabama Commission on Higher Education	View Website
Alaska	Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education	View Website
Arizona	Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education	View Website
Arkansas	Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board	View Website
California	California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education	View Website
Colorado	Colorado Department of Higher Education	View Website
Connecticut	Connecticut Office of Higher Education	View Website
Delaware	Delaware Department of Education	View Website
District of Columbia	District of Columbia Education Licensure Commission	View Website
Florida	Florida Department of Education	View Website
Georgia	Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission	View Website
Hawaii	Hawaii Post-Secondary Education Authorization Program	View Website
Idaho	Idaho State Board of Education	View Website
Illinois	Illinois Board of Higher Education	View Website
Indiana	Indiana Commission on Higher Education	View Website
Iowa	Iowa College Student Aid Commission	View Website
Kansas	Kansas Board of Regents	View Website
Kentucky	Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education	View Website
Louisiana	Louisiana Board of Regents	View Website
Maine	Maine Department of Education	View Website
Maryland	Maryland Higher Education Commission	View Website
Massachusetts	Massachusetts Department of Higher Education	View Website
Michigan	Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs	View Website
Minnesota	Minnesota Office of Higher Education	View Website
Mississippi	Mississippi Commission on College Accreditation	View Website
Missouri	Missouri Department of Higher Education	View Website
Montana	Montana University System, Board of Regents	View Website
Nebraska	Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education	View Website
Nevada	Nevada Commission on Postsecondary Education	View Website
New Hampshire	New Hampshire Department of Education	View Website
New Jersey	New Jersey Secretary of Higher Education	View Website
New Mexico	New Mexico Higher Education Department	View Website
New York	New York Office of College and University Evaluation	View Website
North Carolina	The University of North Carolina Board of Governors	View Website
North Dakota	North Dakota University System	View Website
Ohio	Ohio Board of Regents	View Website
Oklahoma	Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education	View Website
Oregon	Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission	View Website
Pennsylvania	Department of Education	View Website
Puerto Rico	Puerto Rico Council on Education	View Website
Rhode Island	Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education	View Website
South Carolina	South Carolina Commission on Higher Education	View Website
South Dakota*	South Dakota Secretary of State*	View Website
Tennessee	Tennessee Higher Education Commission	View Website
Texas	Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board	View Website
Utah	Utah Division of Consumer Protection	View Website
Vermont	Vermont State Board of Education	View Website
Virginia	State Council of Higher Education for Virginia	View Website
Washington	Washington Student Achievement Council	View Website
West Virginia	West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission	View Website
Wisconsin	Wisconsin Educational Approval Board	View Website
Wyoming	Wyoming Department of Education	View Website

*South Dakota does not have a formal Student Complaint process. They recommend all complaints be filed with the Attorney General.

South Dakota Attorney General: 1302 E. Highway 14, Suite 1 Pierre, SD 57501-8501
Telephone: (605) 773-3215