What FSU programs meet state educational requirements for licensing?
Programs that lead to professional licensure are subject to federal regulations intended to protect students from investing in a program only to learn after graduating it didn't provide the coursework needed for them to practice their profession. Colleges play a critical role in ensuring FSU's compliance, a requirement for our participation in Title IV Federal Financial Aid. Not sure if the regulations apply to your program? See How to Know if Your Program Leads to Licensure.
Highlights of the Federal Regulations
- All FSU programs that lead to licensure must satisfy educational requirements for licensing in Florida.
- FSU may not enroll a distance learning student in a program that does not satisfy (or that has not been determined to satisfy) educational requirements for licensing where the student is located at initial time of enrollment unless the student attests their intent to pursue licensing in a state where the program satisfies requirements.
- FSU is required to publish states where programs do and do not meet educational requirements and send notifications to prospective and enrolled students if a program does not meet (or it hasn't been determined if it meets) educational requirements in their state.
Responsibilities of Colleges Offering Programs Leading to Licensure
Colleges play a critical role in ensuring FSU's compliance with federal regulations:
Reporting Determinations
Colleges are responsible for determining if their program leads to licensure and meets educational requirements for licensing in each state. In addition to conducting research on state licensing requirements, colleges must obtain program approval from state licensing boards wherever it is required. Determinations must be reported to the Office of Digital Learning. See the Program & Course Reporting page for details.
Determining Enrollment Eligibility
During the graduate* application process, applicants to programs leading to licensure are flagged for further review by the college. Colleges determine enrollment eligibility, obtain attestations where applicable, and "clear" eligible applicants in Slate. Log into the Licensure Review & Clearance page for details on reviewing applicants flagged during the application process.
*Undergraduate applicants are reviewed by Admissions personnel.
Reviewing Change of Major Requests
Any time a student initiates a change of major request for a program that leads to licensure, the offering college needs to determine if the student is eligible for enrollment prior to approving the request. If the student indicates their intent to practice in a state where the program satisfies requirements, the college is responsible for obtaining an attestation from the student. See Reviewing Change of Major Requests for instructions (FSU login required).
Obtaining Attestations
Colleges who wish to make use of the attestation option provided in the regulations will need to obtain attestations from students who have expressed their intent to pursue licensing in a state where their selected program satisfies requirements. Attestations must be emailed to the Registrar for imaging and upload into the student records system. See Obtaining & Documenting Attestations for instructions and access to attestation forms.
Compliance Support
To support colleges that offer programs leading to licensure, the Office of Digital Learning
- notifies colleges of reporting and regulatory requirements and deadlines,
- maintains a professional licensure database,
- provides enrollment staff with a list of applications that require licensure review,
- publishes states where programs meet and do not meet licensing requirements, and
- sends written notifications to students per federal regulations and SARA requirements.
For additional resources, see the Professional Licensure page on WCET's State Authorization Network (SAN) website.
How to Know if Your Program Leads to Licensure
For purposes of the regulations, if your program is eligible for Title IV Federal Financial Aid and is designed to meet (or advertised as meeting) educational requirements for a specific license that is required for employment in an occupation, it is subject to the regulations. The FSU Professional Licensure & Certification database lists all FSU programs currently identified as leading to professional licensure, along with information on states where the program does or does not satisfy educational requirements for a particular license or certification.