Student Complaint Process
When submitting complaints, there are different avenues for students completing their education in the state of New York and those completing their education outside of New York State 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 residence):
New York Resident Student Complaint Contact Information
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 New York, have the right to file a complaint with the NYS Office of College and University Evaluation. The contact information can be found on the New York State Education Department website.
NC-SARA Member Out-Of-State Student Complaint Contact Information
Fordham University operates under the approval of “NC-SARA” (National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements). Students based outside of New York State who have a consumer-protection-based complaints regarding a distance education program should first seek to resolve such a complaint within the school in which the student is registered.
*Note that complaints regarding grades and general student conduct issues are not governed by this distance education complaint process.
For the purposes of SARA, a State Portal Entity will address concerns related to distance education activities (online learning, sufficiency of support for distance education students and related activities) from out-of-state students attending a participating SARA institution. For those 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 New York, pursuant to the SARA Complaint Process, please refer to Student Complaints | NC-SARA.
Non-SARA Member Out-Of-State Student Complaint Contact Information
For those student complaints not resolved at the institutional level who have followed all grievance procedures and protocols defined by the University, and do not reside in a SARA member state, they may seek advisement from the appropriate office in the student’s state of residence (see list of agencies below). However, students residing in the state of New York or in a SARA member state 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
Alabama Community College System
Attn: Division of Academic and Student Affairs
PO Box 302130
Montgomery, AL 36130-2130
334.293.4500
Alabama Community College System
ALASKA
Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education
PO Box 110505,
Juneau, Alaska 99811-0505
800.441.2962
Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education
ARIZONA
Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education
1400 W. Washington, Room 260
Phoenix, AZ 85007
602.542.5709
Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education
ARKANSAS
Arkansas Division of Higher Education
114 East Capitol
Little Rock, AR 72201-3818
501.371.2000
Arkansas Division of Higher Education
CALIFORNIA
California Department of Consumer Affairs
Consumer Information Center
1625 North Market Blvd., Suite N-112
Sacramento, California 95834
833.942.1120
California Department of Consumer Affairs
COLORADO
Colorado Department of Higher Education
Commission on Higher Education
1300 Broadway Rd., Second Floor
Denver, CO 80203
303.862.3001
Colorado Department of Higher Education
CONNECTICUT
Connecticut Office of Higher Education
450 Columbus Blvd., Suite 707
Hartford, CT 06103-1841
860.947.1800
Connecticut Office of Higher Education
DELAWARE
Delaware Department of Education
The Townsend Building
401 Federal St., Suite 2
Dover, DE 19901-3639
302.735.4000
Delaware Department of Education
FLORIDA
Commission for Independent Education
325 W. Gaines St., Suite 1414
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400
850.245.0505
Florida Department of Education
GEORGIA
Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission
2082 E. Exchange Pl., Suite 220
Tucker, GA 30084
770.414.3300
Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission
HAWAII
Business Registration Division of the Hawaii Department
of Commerce and Consumer Affairs
PO Box 40
Honolulu, HI 96810
808.587.4272
Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs
IDAHO
Idaho State Board of Education
PO Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0037
208.334.2270
Idaho State Board of Education
ILLINOIS
Illinois Board of Higher Education
1 N. Old State Capitol Plaza, Suite 333
Springfield, IL 62701-1377
217.557.7359
Illinois Board of Higher Education
INDIANA
Board for Proprietary Education Indiana Commission for Higher Education
101 W. Ohio St., Suite 300
Indianapolis, IN 46204
317.464.4400
Indiana Commission for Higher Education
IOWA
Iowa College Student Aid Commission
475 SW fifth St., Suite D
Des Moines, IA 50319
515.725.3400
KANSAS
KENTUCKY
Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education
1024 Capital Center Dr., Suite 320
Frankfort, KY 40601-8204
502.573.1555
Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education
LOUISIANA
State of Louisiana Board of Regents
1201 N. Third St., Suite 6-200
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
225.342.4253
State of Louisiana Board of Regents
Alternate contact:
Office of the Attorney General
Consumer Protection Section
P.O. Box 94005
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9005
225.326.6464 or 800.351.4889
MAINE
Maine State Board of Education (MSBE)
23 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0023
207.624.6846
MARYLAND
Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC)
6 N. Liberty St., 10th Floor
Baltimore, MD 21201
410.767.3301
Maryland Higher Education Commission
Alternative contact:
Maryland Office of the Attorney General
200 St. Paul Place
Baltimore, MD 21202
410.576.6300 or 888.743.0023; TDD 410.576.6372
Maryland Office of the Attorney General
MASSACHUSETTS
Massachusetts Board of Higher Education
One Ashburton Place, Suite 1401
Boston, MA 02108-1696
617.994.6950
Massachusetts Department of Higher Education
MICHIGAN
Michigan Department of Education
PO Box 30008
Lansing, MI 48909
517.373.9235
Michigan Department of Education
MINNESOTA
Minnesota Office of Higher Education
1450 Energy Park Dr., Suite 350
St. Paul, MN 55108
651.259.3975 or 800.657.3866
Minnesota Office of Higher Education
MISSISSIPPI
Mississippi Commission on College Accreditation
3825 Ridgewood Rd.
Jackson, MS 39211
601.432.6372
Mississippi Commission on College Accreditation
MISSOURI
Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development
205 Jefferson St.
Jefferson City, MO 65102-1469
573.751.2361
Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development
MONTANA
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
406.449.9124
Montana Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education
NEBRASKA
Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education
PO Box 95005
Lincoln, NE 68509-5005
402.471.2847
Nebraska’s Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education
NEVADA
Nevada Commission on Postsecondary Education
3663 E. Sunset Road, Suite 202
Las Vegas, NV 89120
702.486.7330
Nevada Commission on Postsecondary Education
NEW HAMPSHIRE
New Hampshire Department of Education
101 Pleasant Street
Concord, NH 03301-3494
603.271.3494
New Hampshire Department of Education
NEW JERSEY
New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education
1 John Fitch Plaza, 10th Floor
PO Box 542
Trenton, NJ 08625-0542
609.292.4310 or 609.984.2709
New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education
NEW MEXICO
New Mexico Higher Education Department
2044 Galisteo St., Suite 4
Santa Fe, NM 87505-2100
505.476.8400
New Mexico Higher Education Department
NEW YORK
New York State Education Department
Office of College & University Evaluation Education Bldg.
5 North Mezzanine, 89 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12234
518.474.2593
New York State Office of Higher Education
NORTH CAROLINA
North Carolina Post-Secondary Education Complaints
c/o Student Complaints
910 Raleigh Rd.
Chapel Hill, NC 27515-2688
919.962.4538
North Carolina Post-Secondary Education
Alternative contact:
Consumer Protection Division
Attorney General’s Office
Mail Service Center 9001
Raleigh, NC 27699-9001
877.566.7226 or 919.716.6000 (En Espanol (919) 716-0058)
North Carolina Department of Justice
NORTH DAKOTA
North Dakota University System
Core Technology Services
2000 44th St. SW, Suite 301
Fargo, ND 58103
North Dakota University System
OHIO
Ohio Department of Higher Education
25 South Front Street
Columbus, OH 43215
614.466.6000
Ohio Department of Higher Education
OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma State Regents of Higher Education
655 Research Pkwy, Suite 200
Oklahoma City, OK 73104-3603
405.225.9100 or 405.225.9142
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
OREGON
Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission
Office of Private Postsecondary Education
3225 25th St. SE
Salem, OR 97302
503.378.5690
Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission
PENNSYLVANIA
Pennsylvania Department of Education
333 Market St., 12th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333
717.783.6785
Pennsylvania Department of Education
PUERTO RICO
Consejo de Educacion Superior de Puerto Rico/Puerto Rico Council on Higher Ed.
PO Box 19900
San Juan, Puerto Rico 00910-1900
787.724.7100 ext. 2022 or ext. 2016
Puerto Rico Departamento de Estado
RHODE ISLAND
Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner
560 Jefferson Blvd.
Warwick, RI 02886-1304
401.736.1100
Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Education Commission
SOUTH CAROLINA
Nonpublic Postsecondary Institution Licensing
1333 Main St., Suite 200
Columbia, SC 29201
803.737.3918
South Carolina Commission on Higher Education
SOUTH DAKOTA
South Dakota Secretary of State
Capitol Building
500 E. Capitol Ave, Suite 204
Pierre, SD 51501-5070
605.773.3215
South Dakota Secretary of State
TENNESSEE
Tennessee Higher Education Commission
Parkway Towers, Suite 1900
404 James Robertson Pkwy
Nashville, TN 37243-0830
615.741.5293 or 615.253.8857
Tennessee Higher Education Commission & Student Assistance Corporation
TEXAS
Texas Workforce Commission
Career Schools and Colleges-Rm 226-T
101 East 15th Street
Austin, TX 78778-0001
1800.558.8321
Texas Alternate Contact #1:
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Office of General Counsel
P.O. Box 12788
Austin, TX 78711-2788
512.427.6101
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Texas Alternate Contact #2:
Texas Office of the Attorney General
Consumer Protection Division
P.O. Box 12548
Austin, TX 78711-2548
Texas Office of the Attorney General
UTAH
Utah System of Higher Education State Board of Regents
60 South 400 West
Salt Lake City, UT 84101-1284
801.321.7200 or 1.800.418.8757
Utah System of Higher Education
VERMONT
Vermont Agency of Education
219 North Main St., Suite 402
Barre, VT 05641
781.425.7713 or 802.479.1030
Vermont Alternate Contact:
Vermont Attorney General’s Office
109 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05609-1001
802.828.3171
VIRGINIA
State Council of Higher Education for Virginia
James Monroe Building
101 N. 14th St., 10th Floor
Richmond, VA 23219
804.225.2600
State Council of Higher Education for Virginia
WASHINGTON
Washington Student Achievement Council
PO Box 43430
Olympia, WA 98504-3430
360.753.7869 or 360.753.7866
Washington Student Achievement Council
WASHINGTON D.C.
Office of the State Superintendent of Education
Higher Education Licensure Commission
1050 First St. NE
Washington, DC 20002
202.727.6436
Washington, DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education
WEST VIRGINIA
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
1018 Kanawha Boulevard East, Suite 700
Charleston, WV 25301
304.558.2101
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
WISCONSIN
State of Wisconsin
Educational Approval Program
P.O. Box 8366
Madison, WI 53708-8366
608.266.1996
Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services
WYOMING
Wyoming Department of Education
122 W. 25th St., Suite E200
Cheyenne, WY 82002
307.777.7675
Wyoming Department of Education
AMERICAN SAMOA
Office of Protection and Advocacy
Attn: Dr. Peter Tinitali
Executive Office Building
Pago Pago, American Samoa 96799
684.699.2441
American Samoa Office of Protection & Advocacy
GUAM
Office of Attorney General
287 W O’Brien Dr.
Hagatna, Guam 96910
671.475.3324
Guam Office of Attorney General
NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS
State Higher Education Agency, Northern Marianas College
POB 501250
Saipan MP 96950-1250
Northern Mariana Islands Alternate Contact:
Office of Attorney General
Juan A Sablan Memorial Bldg.
Capital Hill,
Caller Box 10007, Saipan, MP 96950
670.234.5498
Northern Mariana Islands Office of the Attorney General
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS
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
340.713.2754