State Authorizations
The U.S. Department of Education requires compliance with state regulations of any state in which MGA provides distance education for students. To facilitate this compliance with state regulations MGA has joined the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC-SARA).
This agreement allows us to offer distance education to other member states. To find out if your state of residence is a member state before applying to a program with MGA, please visit the NC-SARA website.
For your convenience, there is a dedicated website to answer any questions you may have regarding the availability of a specific program in your state of residence. The website is http://ask.mga.edu.
Potential Consequences of Changing State of Residence
When you are taking courses online, where you live—the place from which you access academic resources, your state of residence—matters. MGA must be authorized (or otherwise allowed) by your state to deliver your academic program to you. The paragraphs above explain where and how the University is authorized. Students who begin an online program while residing in a state in which MGA is authorized to offer online programs need to be aware that moving to a state in which the University is not authorized to offer the program may have negative consequences. While the University attempts to obtain authorization everywhere its students live, moving to a state in which the University is not authorized could result in the loss of eligibility for certain forms of financial aid and/or in the inability to complete the academic program.
Notices
None of our online programs lead to state licensures however the AAS in Aviation Maintenance Technology does lead to federal FAA licensure. The MSN, RN to BSN Completion, and the Respiratory Therapy Bridge programs all require license upon entry.
Catastrophic Events – Online Education
In case of a catastrophic event, Middle Georgia State University will support the continuity of its academic programs and essential operations consistent with our Emergency Operations Plan, OTR Continuity of Operations Plan, OTR Incidence Response Plan, and University System of Georgia guidance. If normal instructional delivery is disrupted, Middle Georgia State University may implement alternative methods such as, but not limited to: remote or online instruction, hybrid delivery models, modified academic calendars, alternative instructional sites. Distance education courses delivered online will continue in their established online modalities, with appropriate adjustments to course calendars, schedules, and deliverables based on the nature and duration of the event’s impact.
In the unlikely event that Middle Georgia State University is not able to continue instruction for a program or course on a permanent basis, Middle Georgia State University will take reasonable steps to support affected students, which may, but is not required to, include: providing alternative options for instruction or services for which students paid, issuing reasonable financial refunds for undelivered education, assisting students with transfer of earned credit, implementing teach-out plans. Middle Georgia State University also maintains systems, procedures, and data-protection practices designed to preserve and maintain student academic records during disruptions to University operations and to ensure appropriate access to those records in the event of an extended closure.
Students affected by a catastrophe will receive the services, or reasonable alternatives thereof, that they paid for, or financial compensation will be made in cases where those services cannot be delivered. The sufficiency of all alternative offerings and/or reasonable compensation is within the sole discretion of the University. The Middle Georgia State University Refund Policy follows the University System of Georgia Board of Regents policy in the USG Policy Manual 7.3.5. Students who matriculate online from their state of residence may be governed by refund policies mandated by the particular state in question. Please contact the Student Account Service for more information.
Accreditation
To learn about MGA accreditation, please visit the institutional SACSCOC Accreditation or the Specialized Accreditation page.
Complaints
Students are encouraged to initially seek an informal resolution directly with the faculty or individual(s) involved when possible. When an informal resolution is not possible, students should follow MGA Complaints Policy and Procedures found on the Student Affairs website. The MGA Grievances/Complaint Policy can also be found in the Student Handbook.
Appeals
If a complaint is not resolved at the institutional level the fully online (out of state) student may choose to elevate their appeal to the GA-SARA office (gasara@gnpec.ga.gov) following their guidelines found on the GA-SARA Student Complaint webpage. Student may also elevate their appeals to NC-SARA following their guidelines found on the NC-SARA Student Complaint webpage.
GA Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission
2082 East Exchange Place
Suite #220
Tucker, GA 30084
770-414-3300
Further considerations and resolutions, if necessary, can be made to our accrediting body, The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Guidelines to their Complaint Policy can be found on their webpage.
SACSCOC
1866 Southern Lane
Decatur, GA 30033
404-679-4500
