For Immediate Release:
Wednesday, August 4, 2021
Contact:
Nazneen Ahmed (919) 716-0060
(RALEIGH) Attorney General Josh Stein called for stronger protections for the more than 3 million students enrolled in distance education courses. Attorney General Stein and 24 other attorneys general sent a letter to the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA), which coordinates among the 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands to establish distance education standards and sets minimum standards and policies that its 2,276 participating institutions must adhere to.
“More students than ever are learning via distance education,” said Attorney General Josh Stein. “These students deserve protections so they can get a strong education and build successful futures and so I can take action when schools fail their students.”
The attorneys general asked NC-SARA to:
- Remove current policy language that prohibits states from enforcing their higher education consumer protection laws and instituting meaningful consumer protection standards for participating schools.
- Do more to protect current and prospective students at institutions with issues related to consumer protection or financial stability.
- Make sure its board of directors is representative of member states and territories, consumer protection experts, and attorneys general.
Attorney General Stein is joined in sending this letter by the Attorneys General of Maryland, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
A copy of the letter is available here.
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