Student Complaints Process
When submitting complaints, there are different avenues for students completing their education in the state of Massachusetts and those completing their education outside of Massachusetts through distance education (e.g. online courses or programs).
As required by the NC-SARA student complaint process, a student must first attempt to resolve and file their complaint at the institution. For complaints not resolved at the institutional level, a student may file an appeal in one of the following ways (dependent on their state of residence):
*Note that complaints regarding grades and general student conduct issues are not governed by this distance education complaint process.
For Massachusetts Residents and Online Students in Non-SARA Member States and Territories
Student complaints not resolved at the institutional level who have followed all grievance procedures and protocols defined by the University and reside in the state of Massachusetts or non-SARA Member States/Territories have the right to file a consumer complaint with the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education (DHE) by using the consumer complaint form. The Massachusetts DHE consumer complaint form should be used by students who are located in:
- Massachusetts
- Non-SARA Member States or Territories (e.g., California, Guam, etc.)
More information about Massachusetts’ DHE complaint processes can be found here.
For Online Students Located in SARA Member States and Territories
Simmons University operates under the approval of “NC-SARA” (National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements). Students based outside of Massachusetts (in a SARA member state/territory) who have a consumer-protection-based complaint regarding a distance education program should first seek to resolve such a complaint within the school in which the student is registered.
Student complaints not resolved at the institutional level who have followed all grievance procedures and protocols defined by the University, and reside in a SARA member state outside of Massachusetts, pursuant to the SARA Complaint Process, have the right to file a consumer complaint with the Department of Higher Education (DHE) by using the SARA complaint form. The DHE SARA complaint form should be used by students who are located in SARA member states and territories. This includes all students who are located in SARA member states and territories for the purposes of completing out-of-state learning placements, such as internships, practica, clinical experiences, etc. in SARA member states and territories outside of Massachusetts.
Additional information from the DHE’s SARA complaint website is below.
The SARA complaint process is as follows:
- Students must first attempt to resolve their complaint using internal administrative procedures offered by the SARA institution.
- After all administrative remedies have been exhausted with the MA-SARA institution, the student may submit a SARA Complaint via the URL below.
- The Department shall send a copy of the complaint to the institution that is the subject of the complaint;
- Within 30 days of the date that the Department sends a copy of the complaint to the institution, the institution must provide a written response to the student and the Department.
As an additional resource, you may find a list below including contact information for consumer complaints to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories. However, students should follow the complaint procedures outlined above.
Note: This list includes contact information for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories and should not be construed as informative of what agencies regulate the institution or in what states the institution is authorized to operate. States, through the relevant agencies or Attorneys General Offices will accept complaints regardless of whether an institution is authorized to operate in that state. Also, the University does not maintain the state and territory websites, and information may change without the University’s knowledge.
ALABAMA
In writing:
Alabama Community College System
Attn: Division of Academic and Student Affairs
PO Box 302130
Montgomery, AL 36130-2130
By phone:
On the Internet:
ALASKA
In writing:
Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education
PO Box 110505,
Juneau, Alaska 99811-0505
By phone:
On the Internet:
ARIZONA
In writing:
Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education
1400 W. Washington, Room 260
Phoenix, AZ 85007
By phone:
On the Internet:
ARKANSAS
In writing:
Arkansas Division of Higher Education
114 East Capitol
Little Rock, AR 72201-3818
By phone:
On the Internet:
CALIFORNIA
In writing:
California Department of Consumer Affairs
Consumer Information Center
1625 North Market Blvd., Suite N-112
Sacramento, California 95834
By phone:
On the Internet:
COLORADO
In writing:
Colorado Department of Higher Education
Commission on Higher Education
1300 Broadway Rd., Second Floor
Denver, CO 80203
By phone:
On the Internet:
CONNECTICUT
In writing:
Connecticut Office of Higher Education
450 Columbus Blvd., Suite 707
Hartford, CT 06103-1841
By phone:
On the Internet:
DELAWARE
In writing:
Delaware Department of Education
The Townsend Building
401 Federal St., Suite 2
Dover, DE 19901-3639
By phone:
On the Internet:
FLORIDA
In writing:
Commission for Independent Education
325 W. Gaines St., Suite 1414
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400
By phone:
On the Internet:
GEORGIA
In writing:
Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission
2082 E. Exchange Pl., Suite 220
Tucker, GA 30084
By phone:
On the Internet:
HAWAII
In writing:
Business Registration Division of the Hawaii Department
of Commerce and Consumer Affairs
PO Box 40
Honolulu, HI 96810
By phone:
On the Internet:
IDAHO
In writing:
Idaho State Board of Education
PO Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0037
By phone:
On the Internet:
ILLINOIS
In writing:
Illinois Board of Higher Education
1 N. Old State Capitol Plaza, Suite 333
Springfield, IL 62701-1377
By phone:
On the Internet:
INDIANA
In writing:
Board for Proprietary Education Indiana Commission for Higher Education
101 W. Ohio St., Suite 300
Indianapolis, IN 46204
By phone:
On the Internet:
IOWA
In writing:
Iowa College Student Aid Commission
475 SW fifth St., Suite D
Des Moines, IA 50319
By phone:
On the Internet:
KANSAS
On the Internet:
KENTUCKY
In writing:
Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education
1024 Capital Center Dr., Suite 320
Frankfort, KY 40601-8204
By phone:
On the Internet:
LOUISIANA
In writing:
State of Louisiana Board of Regents
1201 N. Third St., Suite 6-200
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
By phone:
On the Internet:
Alternate contact:
In writing:
Office of the Attorney General
Consumer Protection Section
P.O. Box 94005
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9005
By phone:
On the Internet:
MAINE
In writing:
Maine State Board of Education (MSBE)
23 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0023
By phone:
On the Internet:
MARYLAND
In writing:
Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC)
6 N. Liberty St., 10th Floor
Baltimore, MD 21201
By phone:
On the Internet:
Alternative contact:
In writing:
Maryland Office of the Attorney General
200 St. Paul Place
Baltimore, MD 21202
By phone:
On the Internet:
MASSACHUSETTS
In writing:
Massachusetts Department of Higher Education
One Ashburton Place, Suite 1401
Boston, MA 02108-1696
By phone:
On the Internet:
MICHIGAN
In writing:
Michigan Department of Education
PO Box 30008
Lansing, MI 48909
By phone:
On the Internet:
MINNESOTA
In writing:
Minnesota Office of Higher Education
1450 Energy Park Dr., Suite 350
St. Paul, MN 55108
By phone:
On the Internet:
MISSISSIPPI
In writing:
Mississippi Commission on College Accreditation
3825 Ridgewood Rd.
Jackson, MS 39211
By phone:
On the Internet:
MISSOURI
In writing:
Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development
205 Jefferson St.
Jefferson City, MO 65102-1469
By phone:
On the Internet:
MONTANA
In writing:
Montana Board of Regents
Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education - Montana University System
560 N. Park Ave.
PO Box 203201
Helena, MT 59620-3201
By phone:
On the Internet:
NEBRASKA
In writing:
Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education
PO Box 95005
Lincoln, NE 68509-5005
By phone:
On the Internet:
NEVADA
In writing:
Nevada Commission on Postsecondary Education
3663 E. Sunset Road, Suite 202
Las Vegas, NV 89120
By phone:
On the Internet:
NEW HAMPSHIRE
In writing:
New Hampshire Department of Education
101 Pleasant Street
Concord, NH 03301-3494
By phone:
On the Internet:
NEW JERSEY
In writing:
New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education
1 John Fitch Plaza, 10th Floor
PO Box 542
Trenton, NJ 08625-0542
By phone:
On the Internet:
NEW MEXICO
In writing:
New Mexico Higher Education Department
2044 Galisteo St., Suite 4
Santa Fe, NM 87505-2100
By phone:
On the Internet:
NEW YORK
In writing:
New York State Education Department
Office of College & University Evaluation Education Bldg.
5 North Mezzanine, 89 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12234
By phone:
On the Internet:
NORTH CAROLINA
In writing:
North Carolina Post-Secondary Education Complaints
c/o Student Complaints
910 Raleigh Rd.
Chapel Hill, NC 27515-2688
By phone:
On the Internet:
Alternative contact:
In writing:
Consumer Protection Division
Attorney General’s Office
Mail Service Center 9001
Raleigh, NC 27699-9001
By phone:
On the Internet:
NORTH DAKOTA
In writing:
North Dakota University System
Core Technology Services
2000 44th St. SW, Suite 301
Fargo, ND 58103
By phone:
unknown
On the Internet:
OHIO
In writing:
Ohio Department of Higher Education
25 South Front Street
Columbus, OH 43215
By phone:
On the Internet:
OKLAHOMA
In writing:
Oklahoma State Regents of Higher Education
655 Research Pkwy, Suite 200
Oklahoma City, OK 73104-3603
By phone:
On the Internet:
OREGON
In writing:
Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission
Office of Private Postsecondary Education
225 Capitol St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
By phone:
On the Internet:
PENNSYLVANIA
In writing:
Pennsylvania Department of Education
333 Market St., 12th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333
By phone:
On the Internet:
PUERTO RICO
In writing:
Consejo de Educacion Superior de Puerto Rico/Puerto Rico Council on Higher Ed.
PO Box 19900
San Juan, Puerto Rico 00910-1900
By phone:
Phone Number: 787.724.7100 ext. 2022 or ext. 2016
On the Internet:
RHODE ISLAND
In writing:
Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner
560 Jefferson Blvd.
Warwick, RI 02886-1304
By phone:
On the Internet:
SOUTH CAROLINA
In writing:
Nonpublic Postsecondary Institution Licensing
1333 Main St., Suite 200
Columbia, SC 29201
By phone:
On the Internet:
SOUTH DAKOTA
In writing:
South Dakota Secretary of State
Capitol Building
500 E. Capitol Ave, Suite 204
Pierre, SD 51501-5070
By phone:
On the Internet:
TENNESSEE
In writing:
Tennessee Higher Education Commission
Parkway Towers, Suite 1900
404 James Robertson Pkwy
Nashville, TN 37243-0830
By phone:
TEXAS
In writing:
Texas Workforce Commission
Career Schools and Colleges-Rm 226-T
101 East 15th Street
Austin, TX 78778-0001
By phone:
On the Internet:
Texas Alternate Contact #1:
In writing:
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Office of General Counsel
P.O. Box 12788
Austin, TX 78711-2788
By phone:
On the Internet:
Texas Alternate Contact #2:
In writing:
Texas Office of the Attorney General
Consumer Protection Division
P.O. Box 12548
Austin, TX 78711-2548
On the Internet:
UTAH
In writing:
Utah System of Higher Education State Board of Regents
60 South 400 West
Salt Lake City, UT 84101-1284
By phone:
On the Internet:
VERMONT
In writing:
Vermont Agency of Education
219 North Main St., Suite 402
Barre, VT 05641
By phone:
On the Internet:
Vermont Alternate Contact:
In writing:
Vermont Attorney General’s Office
109 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05609-1001
By phone:
VIRGINIA
In writing:
State Council of Higher Education for Virginia
James Monroe Building
101 N. 14th St., 10th Floor
Richmond, VA 23219
219 North Main St., Suite 402
By phone:
WASHINGTON
In writing:
Washington Student Achievement Council
PO Box 43430
Olympia, WA 98504-3430
By phone:
On the Internet:
WASHINGTON D.C.
In writing:
Office of the State Superintendent of Education
Higher Education Licensure Commission
1050 First St. NE
Washington, DC 20002
By phone:
On the Internet:
WEST VIRGINIA
In writing:
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
1018 Kanawha Boulevard East, Suite 700
Charleston, WV 25301
By phone:
On the Internet:
WISCONSIN
In writing:
State of Wisconsin
Educational Approval Program
P.O. Box 8366
Madison, WI 53708-8366
By phone:
On the Internet:
WYOMING
In writing:
Wyoming Department of Education
122 W. 25th St., Suite E200
Cheyenne, WY 82002
By phone:
On the Internet:
AMERICAN SAMOA
In writing:
Office of Protection and Advocacy
Attn: Dr. Peter Tinitali
Executive Office Building
Pago Pago, American Samoa 96799
By phone:
On the Internet:
GUAM
In writing:
Office of Attorney General
287 W O’Brien Dr.
Hagatna, Guam 96910
By phone:
On the Internet:
NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS
In writing:
State Higher Education Agency, Northern Marianas College
POB 501250
Saipan MP 96950-1250
Northern Mariana Islands
Alternate Contact:
In writing:
Office of Attorney General
Juan A Sablan Memorial Bldg.
Capital Hill,
Caller Box 10007, Saipan, MP 96950
By phone:
On the Internet:
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS
In writing:
Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands
Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs
Golden Rock Shopping Center,
3000 Estate Golden Rock, Suite 9, St. Croix, VI 00820
By phone:
On the Internet: