State Regulatory Agency, NC-SARA and Accreditor Contact Information for Student Complaints

American College of Education provides contact information for filing complaints with the relevant state official or agency that would handle a student’s complaint, regardless of whether the state regulates the institution. The state agencies correspond with the physical location of students while enrolled in ACE degree programs. The state agency corresponds with the student’s state of residence.

Accreditor

Any student with an unresolved complaint may refer the complaint to American College of Education’s accreditor, The Higher Learning Commission.

The Higher Learning Commission
230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500
Chicago, Illinois 60604-1411
800-621-7440
312-263-0456
Fax: 312-263-7462
Email

NC-SARA

Students who have a complaint against the College should first reference the College’s Student Complaint Policy for formal complaints. If the College does not resolve the complaint through the College’s Student Complaint Policy students may file a complaint with the College’s NC-SARA home state portal agency, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education

The Indiana Commission for Higher Education will only consider complaints that were previously unresolved through the College’s own student complaint policy and may refer a complaint to another agency for investigation.

If you are enrolled in an ACE distance education program, and you are a resident of a state that is a member of the National Council for State Authorization and Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) as listed in the State Authorization to operate section of the Catalog, then the contact information to file a complaint with the College’s NC-SARA home state portal agency is as follows:

Indiana Commission for Higher Education
Attention: Ken Sauer
Senior Associate Commissioner and Chief Academic Officer 101 W. Ohio Street, Suite 550
Indianapolis, IN 46204-1984 317.232.1090

State Regulatory Agencies

If a complaint cannot be resolved after exhausting the College’s student complaint procedure the student may file a complaint with the relevant state official or agency that would handle a student’s complaint, regardless of whether the state regulates the institution.

Alabama
Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education
PO Box 302130
Montgomery, Alabama 36130-2130
331-242-1198

Alaska
Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education
PO Box 110505
Juneau, Alaska 99811-0505
800-441-2962

American College of Education program is exempt from authorization under AS 14.48 and 20 AAC 17.015 because the program is online and does not have a physical presence in the state.

Arizona
Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education
1400 West Washington Street, Room 260
Phoenix, Arizona 85007
602-542-5709

Arkansas
Arkansas Department of Higher Education
423 Main Street, Suite 400
114 East Capitol Avenue Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
501-371-2000

California
California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education
PO Box 980818
West Sacramento, California 95798-0818
916-445-9555

Colorado
Colorado Department of Higher Education
1560 Broadway, Suite 1600
Denver, Colorado 80202
303-866-2723

Connecticut
Connecticut Department of Higher Education
Office of Higher Education
61 Woodland Street
Hartford, Connecticut 06105
860-947-1800

Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection
165 Capitol Avenue, Room 110
Hartford, Connecticut 06105-2326

Delaware
Delaware Higher Education Office
John G. Townsend Building, Suite 2
Dover, Delaware 19901
302-735-4000

Delaware Attorney General
Consumer Protection
Wilmington 820 North French Street, 5th Floor
Wilmington, Delaware 19801
302-577-8600

District of Columbia
District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent Higher Education Licensure Commission
810 First Street, NE, 2nd Floor
Washington, DC 20002
202-727-6436

Florida
Florida Commission for Independent Education
325 West Gaines Street, Suite 1414
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400
Email:  [email protected]
850-245-3200

Georgia
Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission
2082 East Exchange Place #220
Tucker, Georgia 30084
770-414-3300
If a complaint cannot be resolved after exhausting the College’s student complaint procedure the student has the right of appeal the final institutional decision to NPEC.

Hawaii
Hawaii Postsecondary Education Authorization
Program PO Box 541
Honolulu, Hawaii 96809
808-586-3230

Idaho
Idaho State Board of Education
Attention: State Coordinator for Private Colleges and Proprietary Schools
650 West State Street
PO Box 83720
Boise, Idaho 83720-0037
208-334-2270

Illinois
Illinois Board of Higher Education
431 East Adams, 2nd Floor
Springfield, Illinois 62701
217-557-7359

Indiana
Indiana Commission for Higher Education
Attention: Director of Regulatory Compliance
302 West Washington Street, Room E201 Indianapolis, Indiana 46204
317-464-4400

Iowa
Iowa Student Aid Commission
430 East Grand Avenue, Floor 3
Des Moines, Iowa 50309
515-725-3400

Kansas
Kansas Board of Regents
1000 SW Jackson Street, Suite 520
Topeka, Kansas 66612
785-296-4917

Kentucky
Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education
1024 Capital Center Drive, Suite 320
Frankfort, Kentucky 40601
502-696-5389

Please be advised that ACE’s educator preparation programs are NOT accredited in Kentucky by the Education Professional Standards Board and are NOT recognized for initial, additional, or renewal of certification or salary enhancement (rank change) for K-12 educators in Kentucky. For more information, please visit the Education Professional Standards Board’s website.

Louisiana
Louisiana Board of Regents
P.O. Box 3677
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
225-342-7084

Maine
Mr. Angel Loredo
Higher Education Specialist
Maine Department of Education
Augusta, Maine 04333
207-624-6846

Maine Attorney General
Consumer Protection Division
6 State House State Augusta, Maine 04333

Maryland
Maryland Higher Education Commission
6 North Liberty Street, 10th Floor
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
410-767-3388

Massachusetts
Massachusetts Department of Higher Education
One Ashburton Place, Room 1401
Boston, Massachusetts 02108
617-994-6950

Michigan
Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
Bureau of Commercial Services, Licensing Division
Proprietary School Unit Staff
201 North Washington Square
Lansing, Michigan 48913
517-373-1820

Minnesota
Minnesota Office of Higher Education
1450 Energy Park Drive, Suite 350
St. Paul, Minnesota 55108-5227
651-259-3975

Mississippi
Mississippi Commission on College Accreditation
3825 Ridgewood Road
Jackson, Mississippi 39211-6453
601-432-6372

Missouri
Missouri Department of Higher Education
205 Jefferson Street
PO Box 1469
Jefferson City, Missouri 65102
573-526-1577

Montana
Montana University System
2500 Broadway Street, PO Box 203201
Helena, Montana 59620
406-444-6570

Nebraska
Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education
P.O. Box 95005
Lincoln, Nebraska 68509-5005
402-471-2847

Nevada
Nevada Commission on Postsecondary Education
8778 South Maryland Parkway, Suite 115
Las Vegas, Nevada 89123

New Hampshire
New Hampshire Department of Education
101 Pleasant Street
Concord, New Hampshire 03301
603-271-0256

New Jersey
New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education
PO Box 542
Trenton, New Jersey 08625
609-292-4310

New Mexico
New Mexico Higher Education Department
2048 Galisteo,
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505
505-476-8400

New York
New York Office of College and University Evaluation
New York State Education Department
5 North Mezzanine
Albany, New York 12234

North Carolina
North Carolina Board of Governors for the University of North Carolina Postsecondary Education Commission
910 Raleigh Road
Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27515
919-962-4558

If a complaint cannot be resolved after exhausting the institution’s grievance procedure, the student may file a complaint with the following office: Post-Secondary Education Complaints, c/o Assistant Director of Licensure and Workforce Studies, University of North Carolina General Administration. 910 Raleigh Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27515- 2688, telephone (919) 962-4550, or email. The student may contact UNC General Administration for further details.

North Dakota
North Dakota Department of Career and Technical Education
State Capital - 15th Floor
600 East Boulevard Avenue, Department 270
Bismarck, North Dakota 58505-0610

Ohio
Ohio Board of Regents
25 South Front Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215
614-466-6000

The Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) is responsible for responding to formal complaints against public, independent non-profit and proprietary institutions of higher education in Ohio. While the ODHE has limited authority over colleges and universities, and cannot offer legal advice or initiate civil court cases, the Chancellor’s staff will review submitted complaints and work with student complainants and institution.

Oklahoma
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
655 Research Parkway, Suite 200
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104
405-225-9100

Oregon
Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission
ATTN: Complaints-ODA
255 Capitol St NE
Salem OR 97310
503-947-5716

Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Department of Education
333 Market Street
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17126
717-783-8228

Puerto Rico 
Puerto Rico Council on Higher Education
P.O. Box 19900
San Juan, Puerto Rico 00910-1900
787-724-7100 ext. 2022

Rhode Island
Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education
Shepard Building
80 Washington Street Providence,
Rhode Island 02903
401-456-6000

South Carolina
South Carolina Commission on Higher Education
1122 Lady Street, Suite 300
Columbia, South Carolina 29201
803-737-2260

South Dakota
South Dakota Office of Attorney General
Division of Consumer Protection
1302 East Highway, Suite 3 Pierre,
South Dakota 57501-8059

Tennessee
Tennessee Higher Education Commission
404 James Robertson Parkway, Suite 1900
Nashville, Tennessee 37243
615-741-5293

To review and address a complaint, TEA requires certain information. We must be able to identify a clear violation of a school law and determine whether we have authority to act upon the allegation.

• Complainant’s full name and contact information 
• Name of the public education agency 
• Detailed description of the actions or decisions that violate a school law (leaving out identifying information for minors)
• Evidence of a school law violation
• Name of the school staff members notified and responses to the complaint
• Indication of whether the complaint was filed with other agencies and responses from other agencies
• The resolution requested
• Full and accurate names of involved educators

Utah
Utah Division of Consumer Protection
160 East 300 South
Salt Lake City, Utah 84111
801-530-6601

Vermont
Vermont Agency of Education
State Board of Education
120 State Street
Montpelier, Vermont 05620-2501
802-828-5402

Virginia
State Council of Higher Education for Virginia
101 North 14th Street, James Monroe Building
Richmond, Virginia 23219
804-371-2258

Washington
Washington Student Achievement Council
917 Lakeridge Way, PO Box 43430
Olympia, Washington 98504
360-753-7800

West Virginia

Executive Vice Chancellor for Administration
West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
1018 Kanawha Boulevard, East
Suite 700
Charleston, WV 25301
Fax: 304.558.5719

Wisconsin
Wisconsin Educational Approval Board
201 West Washington Avenue, 3rd Floor PO Box 8696
Madison, Wisconsin 53708
608-266-1996

Wyoming
Wyoming Attorney General’s Office
123 Capitol Building, 200 West 24th Street
Cheyenne, Wyoming 82002
307-777-7841