Responsible Office: Registrar's Office Approved By: President's Council Approved Date: 1/27/2021 Effective Date: 1/27/2021 Category: Institutional Description/Purpose: This policy is in accordance with the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, specifically 34 CFR 668.43(c) and 34 CFR 600.9, which require the institution to make a determination regarding the State in which a student is located at the time of the student's initial enrollment in an educational program and upon formal receipt of information from the student that the student's location has changed to another State. This policy is necessary to provide a general structure under which the institution shall determine a student's location for purposes of complying with the federal rules, a condition of Title IV eligibility (i.e., the ability to offer federal student aid), and with the state authorization rules of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA). This policy is intended to address federal government consumer protection requirements of 34 CFR 668.43. When requested, and subject to applicable privacy laws, Saint Francis University will make the determination regarding a student's location, together with any supporting documentation, available to the Secretary of Education as required by 34 CFR 600.9(c)(2)(ii). Details: SCOPE: This policy applies to academic administrators, recruitment and registration personnel, and students in all modalities including, but not limited to, full-time and part-time undergraduate and graduate students who are enrolled in the following: face-to-face courses; hybrid courses; online courses; study-abroad programs; and out-of-state learning placements. DEFINITIONS: Enrollment: Registration for coursework and payment of fees constitutes official enrollment. Out-of-State Learning Placement: Experiential learning placements such as, but not limited to, internships, clinical rotations, fieldwork or student teaching experiences offered outside of the institution's home State of Pennsylvania. Prospective Students: Students who have applied for admission to a Saint Francis University educational program but who have not yet enrolled. Residence: The State in which the student has legal residence. SARA: The State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements, commonly known as SARA, is an agreement among member states that authorizes an institution located and legally authorized in a state covered by the agreement to provide postsecondary education through distance education to students located in other states covered by the agreement. State: A State of the Union, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau. Student Location: For purposes of this policy, the student location is defined as the State in which a student is currently living (e.g., permanent/home address) at the time of initial enrollment and upon formal receipt of information from the student that their location has changed to another State while engaged in Saint Francis University educational activities. For prospective students, student location is the State of the prospective student's location at the time the individual has applied for admission, intends to enroll, and is then entered into the University's recruitment or student information system portal.
The University is required to have policies and procedures in place, applied consistently to all students, to determine in which State a student is located while enrolled at the University. Initial Determination of Student's Physical Location: Upon initial enrollment or admission to the University, the determination of student location will be based on the student's permanent/home address at the time of application. It is the responsibility of each student to inform the University if their designated location has changed during their enrollment. The student location designation will remain in effect unless and until the student changes the State listed as the student's physical location. Student Updates on Physical Location: All matriculating students will receive a critical message at the start of each academic term (e.g., fall, winter, spring, summer) from the Registrar via the Student Information System. The student is asked to view the message to update their physical location for that term for compliance purposes. The student will continue receiving the message at each login to the my.francis portal until they respond. Student Reporting Change in Physical Location: Course and program availability vary by State. Admission into an online program is granted at the time of initial acceptance and is dependent on program availability in the State where the student is physically located at the time of admission. Prospective or current students who plan to relocate while enrolled in an online program should discuss their plan with a program administrator to assess any potential impact on their course of study. Students who relocate after admission to a State in which their academic program of study is not currently authorized by the State and/or applicable professional licensing board/agency may experience a delay in their studies, an impact in their eligibility for Title IV student aid, and/or may not be able to complete the academic program in which they initially enrolled. It is the student's responsibility to seek guidance from their program administrator prior to relocation. Students enrolled in Out-of-State Learning Placements should report their location as the State where they will be physically present when the educational activity takes place. (For example, a student enrolled in an on-ground academic program would have "Pennsylvania" recorded as their student location while located on campus. If the student has an internship, clinical or fieldwork experience in Ohio, then that student would report a change in their student location to "Ohio" for that semester.) Whether military personnel stationed outside the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania may enroll or continue in a Saint Francis University online program is based on where military personnel are stationed. RELATED POLICIES: Professional Licensure Disclosures Policy Out-of-State Academic Activities Policy SOURCES: APPROVAL: President's Council: 01-27-2021 |