A dozen policy advocates and higher education groups are calling on the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements, an organization that controls an important interstate distance learning pact, to bake more consumer protections into its policies. Around 1,100 public colleges participate in the state reciprocity agreement, along with around 1,000 private nonprofits and almost 200 for-profits. In fall 2021, some 4.2 million students were enrolled in online programs offered by these colleges. The group of influential organizations and policy advocates, including The Century Foundation, the Center for American Progress, and The Institute for College Access & Success, submitted a slew of proposals in January that are intended to increase consumer protections.
