Professional Licensure Disclosures: How to Read Them

If your degree is meant to lead to a license (nurse practitioner, counselor, social worker, teacher, psychologist), where you live can matter as much as what you study. A program that qualifies graduates for a license in the university's home state may not meet the educational requirements in yours. Federal rules require colleges to tell you this before you enroll. This guide explains the rules, the difference between state authorization and licensure, and how to read the disclosures universities publish.

Two different questions: authorization and licensure

State authorization is about the university: is it allowed to enroll students who live in your state? Many online universities answer this through SARA, the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements. NC-SARA describes SARA as a reciprocity-based process that lets participating institutions offer interstate distance education in member states "without individually applying to each state for such approval." To take part, an institution must be institutionally accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education whose scope includes distance education.

Professional licensure is about you and the program: will this curriculum meet the educational requirements of the licensing board in the state where you plan to practice? SARA does not settle that. NC-SARA states plainly that "SARA does not address professional licensing board approval" for programs leading to state licensing in fields such as nursing, teacher education and psychology. It does require participating institutions to tell students whether programs will meet licensure requirements in the states where they are located.

So a university can be authorized to enroll you, and the program can still fall short of your state's licensure requirements. Accreditation is a third, separate question; see our guide to checking accreditation.

What federal rules require

Colleges that take part in federal student aid must follow the Department of Education's regulations. Two sections matter here.

Disclosure (34 CFR 668.43). If a program is designed to meet the educational requirements for a license or certification required for employment, or is advertised that way, the institution must publish a list of all states where it has determined the program does and does not meet those requirements.

Notice before and during enrollment. The same section says that if the program does not meet a prospective student's state requirements, or the institution has not made a determination for that state, the institution must give notice to that effect before the student enrolls. If the institution later determines the program does not meet requirements in an enrolled student's state, it must notify the student within 14 calendar days.

Program certification (34 CFR 668.14(b)(32)). As part of its aid agreement, an institution must determine that each aid-eligible program meets applicable educational requirements for licensure in the states it covers: where the institution is located, where distance education students are located at initial enrollment, and, for students who enroll on or after July 1, 2024, the state where a student attests they intend to seek employment. The Federal Student Aid Handbook repeats this requirement in its chapter on program eligibility and distance education.

These rules concern educational requirements. Licensing boards also set exams, supervised experience and other conditions. Hawai‘i Pacific University's disclosure says it directly: "Graduation from the programs does not guarantee an advanced practice license and/or national certification."

How to read a state-by-state disclosure

Most universities publish a central licensure page, a program-by-program table or a lookup tool. Read it for your program and your state, then look for these elements.

The three answers

Arkansas State University states that it "is required to disclose whether each program meets, does not meet, or has not been determined to meet the educational requirements for licensure or certification in every state." Its tables use those three columns. For its online Family Nurse Practitioner MSN, the "Does Meet" column lists AR, MO, MS and TN. The program page separately says it is "only available to residents of Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee."

"No determination has been made" is not a yes. Treat it as an open question to resolve with the program and your state board before you enroll.

Home-state language

Many disclosures start from the university's own state. UCF says its online MSW "meets the educational eligibility criteria for licensure as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the State of Florida" and that it is "unable to offer the social work online program to students from Nebraska." Arizona State notes that completing an ASU program "may not fulfill educational requirements for licensure or certification in other states."

Some programs make broader determinations. East Carolina "has determined that its Master of Social Work program meets the requirements for professional licensure in all states within the continental United States." Note the scope: it does not mention Alaska, Hawaii or the territories.

Non-licensure programs

Some programs say they are not designed for licensure. Bellevue University's online DBA is "a non-licensure degree/certificate program." Old Dominion's RN-to-BSN says it "is not intended to lead to a specific state-level license." That is accurate for the program's purpose, but it means the disclosure answers a different question than you may be asking.

Residence and placement rules

Licensure rules often show up as restrictions on where you can live or train. Ball State requires DNP students to "reside in and complete all clinical hours in a state where the Ball State University School of Nursing is authorized." Dakota State says its students cannot take part in unpaid internships, clinicals or field experiences in Colorado because of that state's Workers' Compensation Act. Our guide to campus visits and placements covers this side in more detail.

If you might move

Determinations are tied to a state. The federal rule looks at where you are located when you first enroll, plus any state where you attest you intend to work. If you expect to move, ask:

• Is the program's determination for my future state "meets," "does not meet" or "not made"?
• Can I attest a different intended state at enrollment?
• What happens if I move mid-program, especially during clinical or field hours?

Checking with the licensing board

The final authority is the licensing board in the state where you plan to practice. NC-SARA's Professional Licensure Directory lists board contacts for five fields (counseling, nursing, psychology, social work and teacher education), updated in May 2026. NC-SARA notes that the directory holds contact information only, not the requirements themselves.

Before you apply

• Find the university's licensure disclosure and your state's entry for your exact program.
• Save a copy with the date; disclosures change.
• Confirm placement rules for your state.
• Contact your state board with specific questions about the program's curriculum and hours.

Browse programs by state on our states page, or start with nursing and healthcare programs, where licensure questions are most common. One example with a published state table is Arkansas State's online FNP.