New York State takes pride in the high quality of its licensed and certified professionals. For the protection of its citizens, each license and certificate has requirements that individuals must meet in order to be licensed or certified in New York State. SUNY’s academic programs leading to licensure or certification are carefully designed to meet and exceed these State requirements and those of related accrediting agencies. This is a role SUNY plays in protecting the public.

Effective July 1, 2024, federal regulation requires institutions of higher education to make a determination whether a Title IV-eligible academic program that leads to professional licensure or certification meets the educational requirements for licensure/certification in:

  • the U.S. State where the institution is located and
  • the U.S. States where “distance education” students are located at the time of initial enrollment in the program or, if applicable, the U.S. State where such students attest they intend to seek licensure/certification and employment, and
  • the U.S. States where the program is advertised as meeting such requirements.

SUNY New Paltz's licensure/certification programs are registered by the New York State Education Department and thus meet the educational requirements for licensure/certification in New York State. New Paltz's licensure/certification programs may or may not meet other states'/territories' educational requirements.

When our programs do not meet another state's/territory's educational requirements for licensure/certification, SUNY New Paltz may not enroll a student physically located in that state/territory unless:

  • the student signs a written attestation verifying their intent to seek licensure/certification in New York State or another state whose educational requirements are met by New Paltz's academic program, or
  • New Paltz determines that its academic program meets the educational requirements for licensure/certification in the state/territory in which the student is located.

SUNY New Paltz's Student Location Policy explains how the university determines student location for the purpose of compliance with federal regulations for professional licensure disclosures.

Individual program listings on the University website indicate the states/territories where New Paltz's programs “meet” or “do not meet” educational requirements for licensure/certification. The information presented there will be updated as we receive additional guidance regarding such requirements. It is important to note that SUNY New Paltz is not the licensure or certification authority in any U.S. States/Territories and cannot assess whether an individual candidate will be issued a license/certificate in any U.S. States/Territories.

Student Complaint Resolution

SUNY New Paltz is a member of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) and follows the complaint resolution policies and procedures outlined within the SARA Policy Manual and summarized in the SARA Student Complaint Process. Consumer protection complaints resulting from distance education courses, activities, and operations may be submitted to SUNY New Paltz for investigation and resolution by contacting Kathryn Bohan, Director of the Office of Instructional Technology & Institutional Accessibility Officer, at bohank@newpaltz.edu. If a student is dissatisfied with the campus-based resolution, a concern may be submitted to System Administration of the State University of New York. And if still not satisfied, a complaint may be submitted, within two years of the incident about which the complaint is made, to the New York State Education Department. Please note, this does not include complaints related to grades or student conduct violations, both of which are to be fully addressed via campus processes, not through the NC-SARA complaint resolution procedures.