State Authorization Information for Students Outside of Virginia

Tidewater Community College is a member of Virginia State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (VA-SARA) and participates in the National Council for State Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA). These agreements allow TCC to offer distance learning programs and courses to residents of member states without seeking state-by-state approval. The agreements also provide enhanced quality assurance and consumer protection to Virginia residents seeking distance learning education opportunities from other member states’ institutions

Distance learning allows for educational experiences to occur across state lines. However, when an institution offers learning activities such as coursework, practica, and internships to students in a state other than its own, the institution must seek approval from that other state. While most TCC students are located in Virginia, some are located outside of Virginia during some or all of their academic career. For example, some students are “fully distant” students who complete all of their coursework online never coming to campus while other students may be deployed or relocated for a period of time during their studies. Where a student is located and what type of activity they are involved in determines if TCC must take any action to obtain permission from a state to offer the activity.

The State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA) make it easier for states to obtain approval to offer educational activities in a state other than its own. Virginia is a member of SARA and TCC is approved to participate in SARA. This means that TCC can initiate many out-of-state learning activities in other SARA-approved states without seeking approval from those states. As of July 2019, 49 states (all but California), the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have joined SARA.

A map and full list of authorized states and institutions is available at http://nc-sara.org/sara-states-institutions.

In accordance with the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement, the student complaint procedure outlined in TCC Policy 2210 is subject to oversight by the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV) when complaints arise from students currently enrolled in distance learning programs and courses at TCC.

The following information publicly discloses any Tidewater Community College program, no matter the delivery method, designed or marketed to meet educational requirements for specific professional licensure or certification for employment.

All TCC’s licensure-related programs meet the requirements of the relevant licensing boards in Virginia. However, a program may not meet the licensing requirements for a particular state or territory outside Virginia.

Each program below includes information to help determine if a program meets the educational requirements for licensure/certification in your state or territory.

In cases where TCC could not determine whether our program leads to certification or licensure in another state, links to that state’s regulatory body are provided.

For information about the impacted programs, click on the appropriate program below:

Accounting Specialist (202)
Computed Tomography (221-172-02)
Critical Care (221-146-10)
Diagnostic Medical Sonography (109)
Early Childhood Development (636)
Emergency Medical Services (146)
Funeral Service (155)
Funeral Services, Funeral Director (155-02)
Health Information Management (152)
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (221-172-04)
Medical Laboratory Technology (151)
Nurse Aide (221-157-04)
Nursing (156)
Occupational Therapy Assistant (126)
Pharmacy Technician (221-190-08)
Phlebotomy (221-151-02)
Physical Therapy Assistant (180)
Preschool (221-636-05)
Radiography (172)
Respiratory Therapy (181)
Veterinary Technology (188)

These resources will be updated as more information becomes available.

Before enrolling in a program at Tidewater Community College leading to external licensure or certification, we recommend that a student contact the state board or agency of the program in the state they wish to practice for the most complete and up-to-date information about licensure and certification. In addition to educational requirements, an agency or board may require additional criteria to be met for licensure.

To meet state authorization requirements, it is very important that TCC knows your local address each semester. TCC defines “local address” as where you are physically located when enrolled in school and taking courses. This address might be different than your billing address or the permanent address that you consider your official home residence. It might also be different than your local address for the previous semester.

If your local address changes for any reason (i.e., internship, study abroad, deployment, etc.), it is a student’s responsibility to promptly update their record in SIS.

A student’s failure to keep their address updated does not absolve the student of responsibility for matters related to state authorization requirements.

According to TCC Policy 2106, the college will evaluate the unique factors related to a catastrophic event. After weighing such factors as actual completion time, the extent of the catastrophic event, and available resources for instructional delivery, the college will provide reasonable alternatives for completion. Courses that cannot be completed remotely will be rescheduled for when academic operation resumes, or other alternatives will be presented as appropriate. 

In accordance with the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement, Tidewater Community College has measures to protect and preserve the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of its data and to comply with the applicable information technology standards of the Virginia Community College System as outlined in TCC Policy 5200 and TCC Policy 5201.