{"id":5270,"date":"2018-09-11T11:44:19","date_gmt":"2018-09-11T16:44:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.maryville.edu\/admissions\/?page_id=5270"},"modified":"2026-07-22T10:44:45","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T15:44:45","slug":"complaint-process","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.maryville.edu\/admissions\/financial-aid\/consumer-information\/state-authorization\/complaint-process\/","title":{"rendered":"Student Complaint Process"},"content":{"rendered":"
Ë¿¹ÏÊÓÆµAPP is committed to providing a high-quality educational experience and to resolving student concerns in a fair, equitable, timely, and professional manner. Students are encouraged to seek resolution of complaints through the University’s established internal procedures as a first step.<\/p>\n
Students who have a complaint or concern should begin by utilizing the University’s internal complaint and grievance procedures, as outlined in the Student Complaint Process<\/a>. The University is committed to working collaboratively with students to address and resolve concerns at the institutional level before external processes are pursued.<\/p>\n Students enrolled in distance education programs who are unable to resolve a complaint through the University’s internal processes may have access to additional external complaint options, as described below.<\/p>\n Ë¿¹ÏÊÓÆµAPP is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The HLC accepts complaints from students that relate to an institution’s compliance with HLC’s Criteria for Accreditation or Assumed Practices. Complaints of a personal nature \u2014 such as individual grade disputes or interpersonal conflicts \u2014 are generally outside the scope of HLC’s complaint process. Information regarding the HLC complaint process is available at https:\/\/www.hlcommission.org\/Student-Resources\/complaints.html<\/a>.<\/p>\n Ë¿¹ÏÊÓÆµAPP participates in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA). NC-SARA provides a complaint pathway for distance education students with unresolved complaints that fall within the scope of NC-SARA’s consumer protection policies.<\/p>\n Students must first exhaust the University’s internal complaint procedures before submitting a complaint to the state. If a complaint remains unresolved after exhausting internal processes, eligible students may submit a complaint to the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (MDHEWD)<\/a>, which serves as Missouri’s NC-SARA State Portal Entity.<\/p>\n Please note that complaints related to grades or student conduct are governed by institutional policy and are not subject to review through the NC-SARA complaint process.<\/p>\n Information regarding NC-SARA complaint procedures and State Portal Entities is available through the NC-SARA State Portal Entity Directory<\/a>.<\/p>\n Students enrolled in programs that lead to professional licensure<\/a> who have complaints related to professional licensure requirements or program standards may direct complaints to the appropriate state licensing board or regulatory agency in their state of residence or the state in which they intend to seek licensure, as applicable.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nExternal Complaint Options for Distance Education Students<\/h2>\n
Accreditation \u2014 Higher Learning Commission (HLC)<\/em><\/h3>\n
State Authorization \u2014 NC-SARA<\/em><\/h3>\n
State Licensing Boards<\/em><\/h3>\n