Professional Licensure

What is professional licensure?

Many students attend colleges and universities to earn a degree that prepares them for a specific field: to become a doctor, nurse, teacher, psychologist, engineer, or one of the many other occupations regulated by state and/or other government entities. States and other government entities have established standards of practice for the occupations or professions they have chosen to regulate, and they provide legal permission to practice those professions only to individuals who meet those standards. This is called professional licensure: professions for which people need to meet certain criteria in order to practice in that field (Source: NC-SARA Professional Licensure).

What are professional licensures by State?

For licensing board information and contacts by state, please consult the NC-SARA Professional Licensure Directory. NC-SARA has worked with SARA State Portal Entities (SPEs) to develop a directory for the five most highly enrolled licensure programs as reported by their participating institutions. These include: Counseling, Nursing, Psychology, Social Work and Teacher Education. Note: The NC-SARA Professional Licensure Directory does NOT include professional licensure requirements. Consult the BGSU's professional licensure disclosures for additional information regarding specific BGSU licensure programs.

What is a professional licensure disclosure?

A professional licensure disclosure is a requirement by the U.S. Department of Education for all institutions of higher education to communicate publicly and directly to prospective and current students about:

1. academic programs that will or will not fulfill educational requirements for a specific professional licensure that is required for employment in that field; and, 
2. academic programs that meet or do not meet the educational requirements for licensure for each state and U.S. territory regardless of the delivery mode of the program. 

The regulations are published in the Code of Federal Regulations, CFR § 668.43, section (a)(5)(v) and section (b). BGSU has done its due diligence in determining if the following programs meet the academic requirements of licensure in every state and territory. As states can change regulations regularly, it will be important for students to check with state licensure boards to see if there are any changes in requirements.

BGSU Professional Licensure Disclosures by Programs

Student Location

In accordance with the U.S. Department of Education’s requirements set forth in Title IV, 34 CFR § 600.9, 34 CFR § 668.43, 34 CFR § 668.14, and the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA), BGSU is required to identify and record the location for its current students and any prospective students, in order to ensure that the university is authorized to provide educational opportunities in that location and for the purposes of individual direct professional licensure disclosures.

All programs that lead to licensure or certification, regardless of modality (in-person, distance education), must determine the location for a student and provide the student with the related professional licensure disclosures. 

• Broadly speaking, "a student’s location" is the State where the student resides while taking classes and is based on the address in the BGSU’s system of record as outlined in BSGU"s Student Location Policy (below).
• "Location" for current students and prospective students is described in further details in BGSU's Student Location Policy (below).

BGSU Student Location Policy

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Student Location

Student Attestations

Many professions and certifications are governed by state or territorial regulations. These regulations often dictate specific educational requirements for licensure or certification. BGSU's programs that lead to professional licensure and state certification may not meet the educational requirements of all U.S. states and territories.

• Why am I required to complete an attestation?

Federal regulation, § 668.14(b)(32)(i) and (ii), requires online students or students enrolled in an online course to complete an attestation at the time of initial enrollment at BGSU into a professional licensure or state certification program that does not meet the educational requirements for the state or territory where the student is located. The attestation serves as a crucial tool to ensure that students engage in the decision-making process with full awareness and consent. If an attestation is needed, students cannot enroll until the attestation is provided.

The attestation requires students to:

1. Disclose their intentions and plans for professional licensure upon graduation from BGSU and outline educational goals and future plans for employment.
2. Acknowledge that they have been informed by BGSU that the program for which they intend to enroll is not designed to meet the educational requirements for licensure or certification in the state where they are located.
3. Attest to seek employment in a state that meets the educational requirements for licensure or certification.
4. Confirm that BGSU has provided program advising and alternative options and resources related to their pursuit of professional licensure or state certification.

BGSU is committed to complying with federal regulations and demonstrating transparency. The university has implemented a robust student attestation process to ensure that students are fully informed about how the university's professional licensure and certification programs align with the educational standards of a state or territory, empowering them to make informed decisions about their education and future career paths.

Attestation for Prospective Students

Attestation for Current BGSU Students

• How will I receive, complete and return my attestation if I need one?

- If you are a prospective student, the Admissions office will take care of this as part of their application package.

- If you are an online graduate student, the Graduate College will take care of this as part of their application package.

- If you change your major to one leading to professional licensure in any given semester,  the new major will be reflected in our system and this will trigger that the Office of Institutional Effectiveness sends you the attestation in AdobeSign. Once completed, signed, and dated, you will upload a copy of the attestation using the Student Document Portal link below. 

- If you change your location in any given semester, you will update your address/contact in MyBGSU and send an email to institutionaleff@bgsu.edu. This will prompt the Office of Institutional Effectiveness to send you a link to professional disclosures in your new state (as applicable) and an attestation if needed if the educational requirements in that new state of residence are either not met or determined. 

- If you are not sure and/or your context is different from any of those listed above, or if you have additional questions, please email institutionaleff@bgsu.edu. 

Submit your attestion to the Student Financial Aid and Scholarships Office

The Student Financial Aid and Scholarships Office/Office of Institutional Effectiveness will maintain thorough and organized archives of attestations received in case of an audit, following BGSU Records Management guidelines.