BRTC Becomes an Institutional Participant in the SARA Initiative

Black River Technical College is one of only 24 schools in Arkansas to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC- SARA). SARA is a voluntary agreement among states nationwide to establish national standards for distance education courses and programs. SARA’s mission is to make enrolling in online courses in another state easier for college students.

This effort is funded by a $3 million grant from Lumina Foundation, $200,000 from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and fees paid by institutions. This helps to eliminate approval costs for colleges and universities, costs which are often passed on to students.

BRTC’s Director of Distance Education and Instructional Technology, Regina Moore says, “This will allow out-of-state students to easily enroll in our growing Distance Education programs which will allow them to earn degrees and certificates fully online.”

To learn more about Black River Technical College’s Distance Education Courses and Programs visit its website at www.blackrivertech.org.

SARA is overseen by a National Council and administered by four regional higher education compacts (MHEC, NEBHE, SREB, and WICHE).  Arkansas became a member of the Southern Regional Educational Board (SREB) in June of this year.