Professional Licensure and State Certification

Federal Regulations for Professional Licensure

Per regulation 668.43(a)(5)(v) and 668.43(c), all programs leading to professional licensure in a state, regardless of modality (face to face and distance ed.) must disclose the following: 

• A list of states where the program curriculum meets state educational requirements for licensure or certification.
• A list of states where the program curriculum does not meet state educational requirements for licensure or certification.

Definitions

Professional licensure programs are ones which are: 

• Designed to meet education requirements for a specific professional license or certification that is required for employment in an occupation or,
• Advertised as meeting such requirements

The term “licensure” generally refers to an official process, administered by a state-level authority, that is required by law in order for an individual to practice a regulated profession.

Programs we offer that require professional licensure and/or certification are:

• Athletic Training
• Education
• Nutrition & Dietetics
• Social Work
• Master of Social Work
• Traditional BSN

Time of Initial Enrollment

Unless otherwise defined by federal law, and for purposes of this policy, a university may consider the time of initial enrollment as a student’s official enrollment in a professional or occupational licensure or certification program and/or the receipt of the student’s financial commitment to the first class, semester or term required for completion of a licensure program.

Student Location

Per UW System Interim Policy 100-90 (amended SYS 121), at the time of initial enrollment in a professional or occupational licensure or certification program, a student’s location shall be defined as the following: 

• A student who enrolls in a program that holds instruction primarily at a physical location on campus (on-campus instruction) shall be considered located in the state of Wisconsin. This determination is based on the student being located (in part or exclusively) in Wisconsin while receiving instruction and enrolling in a program designed, primarily, to lead to licensure in the state of Wisconsin.
• A student enrolling in a program that offers instruction in a hybrid learning format will be considered located in Wisconsin.
• A student enrolling exclusively in distance education will be considered located at their current address listed on their official application and/or acceptance into the program. 

Please note that with the exception of the Master of Social Work program, all professional licensure programs at UWGB are considered in-person or hybrid. Therefore, students enrolled in these programs are considered to be located in Wisconsin.

Disclosures

Programs are responsible for adding a disclosure statement (see item 3 under Procedure for an example) to their program website which includes:

• A list of states where the program curriculum meets state educational requirements for licensure or certification.

• A list of states where the program curriculum does not meet state educational requirements for licensure or certification.  

During the course of a program if a student moves to a “does not meet” state, the program must notify the student in writing within 14 calendar days (email is acceptable), that the program does not meet the educational requirements for their state. Students can continue in the program and an attestation is not needed. 

Attestation

Distance education programs that lead to professional licensure are required to track student location at the time of initial enrollment. If the student is located in a “does not meet” state, the University may obtain an attestation form. The attestation requires students to:

1. Confirm the student understands they are located in a "does not meet" state
2. Acknowledge that they have been informed by UWGB 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. Per federal guidance, only one state may be listed.
4. Confirm that UWGB has provided program advising and alternative options and resources related to their pursuit of professional licensure or state certification.

Students who do not fill out the attestation, or confirm they intend to seek licensure in another “does not meet” state, cannot be enrolled in the licensure program per federal regulations.

Procedure

To ensure professional licensure programs are adhering to State and Federal Regulations, the following procedures should be followed:

1. For new programs, review the Professional Licensure Program description to determine if your program meets the criteria. 
2. New Professional Licensure programs should request a copy of the State-by-State Educational Requirements Compilation through the Office of the Provost. 
3. All programs are required to add the Professional Licensure disclosure to their website (example below). The State-by-State Educational Requirements Compilation should help programs determine in which states their program "meets" or "does not meet" the educational requirements.
   
   • Professional Certification/Licensure Disclosure

     The United States Department of Education (via 34 CFR Part 668) requires institutions to disclose information for programs leading to professional certification or licensure. Professional licensure requirements vary from state-to-state and can change year-to-year; they are established in a variety of state statutes, regulations, rules, and policies; and they center on a range of educational requirements, including degree type, specialized accreditation, total credits, specific courses, and examinations.

     (Program name) has been identified as a professional licensure program. The table below indicates whether the program does, or does not satisfy the applicable educational requirements for professional licensure or certification in U.S. states and territories. The U.S. Department of Education maintains a list of state licensing boards by profession. 

      Disclaimer: This information is based on the most recent annual review of state agency certification/licensure data and is subject to change. All students are strongly encouraged to consult with the individual/office listed on the program’s Contact page and with the applicable state agency for specific information.

     Please visit the Professional Licensure and State Certification procedure page for more information. 

      The requirements of this program meet certification/licensure requirements in the following states: Wisconsin
      
     The requirements of this program do not meet certification/licensure requirements in the following states:

4. Updates to state-specific educational requirements are communicated through Bookmark and will be shared with the appropriate program by the Office of the Provost. In January of each year, new State-by-State Educational Requirements Compilations will be downloaded from Bookmark and sent to programs. Any updates to "meets" or "does not meet" designations should be updated on the program website by February 1st of that year.
5. Distance education programs leading to professional licensure are responsible for tracking student location at the time of initial enrollment. If a student is located in a "does not meet" state, programs are required to contact the student directly (email is acceptable) to inform them they are located in a "does not meet" state. See Attestation above for further details.  
   • Programs are required to keep the attestations on file for a period of at least 7 years, should the university be audited. 
   • Applicable programs will be provided with an attestation template or one can be requested from the Office of the Provost. 
6. Per federal regulation, universities cannot advertise a professional licensure program in a "does not meet" state. Students from a "does not meet" state can still enroll in a distance education program if they fill out an attestation. 

State Authorization for Distance Education

The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is a participating institution in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) through the Midwestern Higher Education Compact, which regulates the manner in which participating institutions may offer distance learning education to students who reside in other states. Please see State Authorization for Distance Education for further information.