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Student Location Policy

POLICY STATEMENT

In order to comply with state authorization and federal financial aid regulations, the University of ³ÉÈËӰƬ Fairbanks (UAF) must determine the state where ³ÉÈËӰƬ are located while enrolled in a credit-bearing course or program offered by UAF.

BACKGROUND & JUSTIFICATION

This policy details UAF’s responsibility to determine student location upon initial enrollment and the student’s responsibility to notify UAF of any location changes throughout continuing enrollment.

U.S. Department of Education (ED) Title IV Regulation 34 CFR 600.9(c)(2)(iii) states that an institution must 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, if applicable, upon formal receipt of information from the student, in accordance with the institution’s procedures, that the student’s location has changed to another state.

Additionally, ED Title IV Regulation (34 CFR § 668.14(b)) and State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) policy (v. 22.1 § 5.2) require institutions to determine if programs meet educational requirements for licensure in each state and U.S. territory, and communicate that understanding via public disclosures and direct disclosures sent to ³ÉÈËӰƬ at their time of initial enrollment into a professional licensure program before a financial commitment is made. In addition, starting July 1, 2024 institutions will have to certify that licensure-related programs meet educational requirements in all states/territories where the institution is located and where prospective ³ÉÈËӰƬ are located at the time of initial enrollment (34 CFR § 668.14(b)). This change applies to new program entrants, i.e., those initially enrolling in a licensure program, on or after July 1, 2024.

EXCEPTIONS

Service members serving in any component of the Department of Defense (DOD) are not required to report deployments, temporary duty (TDY) or temporary changes of station (TCS). Permanent changes of station (PCS) will be reported by the student in accordance with the policy.

DEFINITIONS

Date of initial enrollment: The student’s time of initial enrollment in the program will be the first semester they register in UAF courses after admission to a UAF program.

Enrolled student: a student who has registered for a UAF course and remains registered after the add/drop period has passed.

Federal Financial Aid: a program to offer grants, loans, work-study and other types of funding to help ³ÉÈËӰƬ pay for college authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and administered by the Department of Education and listed in 34 CFR 668.1(c).

Prospective student: a student who has indicated interest in UAF and/or may have applied for a UAF program but has not yet matriculated.

State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA): a voluntary agreement between two or more states that establishes national standards for postsecondary distance education activities offered across state lines. Member states recognize institutions that are authorized in other member states.

Student location: the state where a student resides based on the mailing address they have given in the application or UAOnline.

REFERENCES RELIED UPON

RESPONSIBILITIES

• The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) completes the reporting and renewal of UAF’s participation in SARA with data support from Planning, Analysis and Institutional Research (PAIR).
• The student is responsible for maintaining updated location information throughout their participation in educational activities offered by UAF.
• For ³ÉÈËӰƬ enrolled in Professional Licensure programs, UAF is responsible for sending updated direct disclosures within 14 days of a student notifying UAF of a change in location.

NON-COMPLIANCE

These regulations are included in UAF’s Program Participation Agreement (PPA) for Title IV Federal Financial Aid Funds (Federal Pell Grant, Direct Student loans, Federal Supplemental Equal Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) and Federal Work Study). If UAF is not compliant, sanctions range from fines to the loss of UAF’s ability to offer Federal Financial Aid.

Non-compliance is a violation of SARA policy which could lead to UAF losing the ability to offer educational activities across state lines i.e. faculty working out of state, ³ÉÈËӰƬ taking online classes outside of ³ÉÈËӰƬ, having testing proctors located outside of ³ÉÈËӰƬ, and out-of-state internships.

PROCEDURES

• The student’s time of initial enrollment in the program will be the first semester they register in UAF courses after admission to a UAF program.
• For ³ÉÈËӰƬ enrolled at UAF, location is the state where a student resides, as reported to the University, and is based on the mailing address listed in UAOnline.
• Student location designations will remain in effect unless and until a student officially changes their mailing address in UAOnline. Once a student updates their mailing address, the date of entry will be used as the effective date of a student’s revised location for the purposes of this policy. If a student does not notify UAF of a change of address and their mail has been returned as undeliverable, their location will be considered the state of ³ÉÈËӰƬ.
• It is the student's responsibility to update their information in UAOnline.

POLICY APPROVED BY:

Daniel M. White, Chancellor
University of ³ÉÈËӰƬ Fairbanks
Signed: 01-29-2025