What prospective students need to know about licensure programs
State authorization isn’t just about online education anymore. New disclosure rules require institutions to disclose licensure information to current and prospective students, regardless of whether the program is offered online or on campus.
The U.S. Department of Education regulations, which took effect July 1, 2020, were put in place to educate students about licensure requirements, which are different in every state.
Sharing licensure information with a prospective student ensures that they understand whether completion of an Ohio State University program will meet educational requirements necessary to apply for a license or certification in another state. Whether the student plans to complete an online licensure program while located in another state or plans to move to another state after completing an on-campus licensure program, it is essential for the student to understand that their location may impact their eligibility to apply for licensure or certification before they begin a licensure program.
Compliance with the federal regulation not only promotes success for Ohio State students but is also required for Ohio State to continue participation in Title IV federal financial aid programs.
Which programs must share disclosures with prospective students?
Online and on-campus programs designed to meet Ohio professional licensure or certification requirements, or advertised as meeting such requirements, are required to share licensure disclosure information for all states with prospective students. An inventory of impacted licensure and certification programs is posted on the faculty and staff state authorization web page.
When should a program share licensure disclosure information with a prospective student?
Programs should include licensure disclosure information in an acceptance email, welcome packet, or email sent to the prospective student before the program begins. The disclosure should also be included in response to inquiries from prospective students and linked to from the program’s web page.
What should be included in the disclosure?
Ohio State recommends using the below templates to share licensure disclosure information with prospective students. You can adjust the relevant template so that it is specific to your particular program:
Online Licensure or Certification Program
Ohio State academic programs are designed to prepare students to apply for applicable licensure or certification in Ohio. If you plan to pursue licensure or certification in a state other than Ohio, please review state educational requirements for licensure and certification and state licensing board contact information at go.osu.edu/disclosures.
Ohio State makes every effort to ensure state licensure and certification information is current; however, state requirements may change. Please contact the applicable licensing board(s) in the state where you may want to pursue licensure or certification before beginning an academic program to verify whether a program meets educational requirements for licensure or certification in the state.
On-campus Licensure or Certification Program
Ohio State academic programs are designed to prepare students to apply for applicable licensure or certification in Ohio. If you plan to pursue licensure or certification in a state other than Ohio, please review state educational requirements for licensure and certification and state licensing board contact information at go.osu.edu/onground.
Ohio State makes every effort to ensure state licensure and certification information is current; however, state requirements may change. Please contact the applicable licensing board(s) in the state where you may want to pursue licensure or certification before beginning an academic program to verify whether a program meets educational requirements for licensure or certification in the state.
If the online licensure program web page or the on-campus licensure program web page indicate that Ohio State has not determined whether completion of the program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure in the state where the prospective student is located, include the following statement in the disclosure:
Ohio State has not determined whether completion of this program meets educational requirements to apply for licensure or certification in the state where you are currently located.
If the disclosure web pages indicate that completion of the program does not meet educational requirements to apply for licensure in the state where the prospective student is located, include the following statement in the disclosure:
Completion of this program does not meet educational requirements to apply for licensure or certification in the state where you are currently located.
Providing prospective students with this information will help them to understand how completion of an Ohio State program can help them reach their career goals, whether they plan to live in Ohio or any other state.
Contact the state authorization team with questions about licensure disclosures that must be shared with prospective students.