An
amendment to the Fiscal Year 2018 budget, filed by House Republican leadership
and adopted by the House of Representatives last week, authorizes the Board of
Higher Education to sign on to the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA).
Joining SARA will allow public and private colleges and universities offering distance
learning programs in Massachusetts to reach students in other states in a much
more efficient and cost-effective way. Massachusetts is one of only three
states (the others being Florida and California) that are not currently
participating in this innovative interstate program.
In
our evolving economy, colleges need to be able to respond quickly to students’ changing
needs, and delivering high quality online programs through SARA is a great
model for addressing those needs.
