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Georgia College & State University participates in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC-SARA), which is a voluntary agreement among its member states and U.S. territories that establishes comparable national standards for interstate offering of postsecondary distance education courses and programs. It is intended to make it easier for students to take online courses offered by postsecondary institutions based in another state.
Georgia College & State University wants to resolve student grievances, complaints and concerns in an expeditious, fair and amicable manner. Complaints regarding any aspect of Georgia College operations should be filed internally to university authorities first and then, if necessary, to external authorities, such NC-SARA. NC-SARA has flowchart depicting the complaint process. If the complaint cannot be resolved at the university level, the student can appeal to the NC-SARA Georgia Portal, the Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission (GNPEC) unless the student is located in Massachusetts or California.
The NC-SARA Georgia Portal
Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission (GNPEC)
2082 East Exchange Place, Suite 220
Tucker, GA 30084
(770) 414-3235
File a complaint with the Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission (GNPEC).
Consumer Complaints
In keeping with our efforts to expand alternatives for reporting matters of significance, Georgia College has a Hotline reporting service provided by an independent company, The Network. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and allows students to voice their concerns, and to remain anonymous if preferred.
Under SARA Policies and Standards, the following complaint procedures apply to students who reside in SARA states:
- Students should first direct their initial complaint through Georgia College & State University’s Complaint Portal. Note: Student grade appeals and/or student conduct violations “are governed entirely by institutional policy and the laws of the SARA institution’s home state.” (State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements Policies and Standards).
- Students who wish to appeal a Georgia College & State University resolution of a complaint may direct an appeal (except for complaints about grades or student conduct violations), within two years of the incident about which the complaint is made, to the Georgia Portal Agency by reviewing the GA-SARA Student Complaint Rules and submitting a GNPEC Student Complaint Form. The resolution of the complaint by the Georgia Portal Agency is final.
- California is not a member of SARA and does not currently regulate distance education offered through public institutions. If students in the state of California wish to file a complaint, please visit the State of California’s Department of Consumer Affairs.
- If you are an out-of-state student and have a complaint that you feel has not been resolved through these grievance procedures, you may file a complaint with the NC-SARA Georgia Portal, the Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission (GNPEC).
In keeping with our efforts to expand alternatives for reporting matters of significance, Georgia College has a hotline reporting service provided by an independent company, The Network. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and allows students to voice their concerns, and to remain anonymous if preferred.
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