Legal & Regulatory Information

Upon request, Capella will provide students or prospective students with a copy of accreditation and licensure documents.

 

Accreditation

Capella University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Learn more about our accreditation.

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Capella University Governance

Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees provides oversight and guidance regarding Capella University's policies and programs.

  • Mark Brown, MBA
  • Adrian Butler, DM
  • Walter Chelsey, JD
  • Selina Matis, PhD
  • Dawn Mueller, PhD
  • Diana Rodriguez, MBA
  • Constance St. Germain, EdD, JD
  • Richard Senese, PhD, LP (Board Chair)
  • Linda Singh, PhD
  • Dwaun Warmack, EdD

State Regulatory Information

Capella University is registered with the Minnesota Office of Higher Education and is an approved institutional participant in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA).

As an approved SARA participant, Capella complies with established standards for offering postsecondary distance education courses and programs among SARA member states, districts, and territories. SARA is intended to make it easier for students to take online courses offered by postsecondary institutions based in another state.

Capella is authorized to operate in all SARA member states (https://nc-sara.org/directory), and is registered, authorized, or otherwise not subject to approval in all states not currently participating in SARA that require such authorization:

California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education

P.O. Box 980818, West Sacramento, CA 95798-0818
916.431.6959
http://www.bppe.ca.gov

Capella University is registered with the Bureau as an Out of State Institution pursuant to the California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009.
Student Tuition Recovery Fund (STRF) Disclosure
Student Tuition Recovery Fund (STRF) Fees

Florida Department of Education
Licensed by the Commission for Independent Education, Florida Department of Education. Additional information regarding Capella may be obtained by contacting the Commission at:

325 West Gaines Street, Suite 1414
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400
888.224.6684
https://www.fldoe.org/cie

Minnesota Office of Higher Education

Capella is registered with the Minnesota Office of Higher Education pursuant to Minnesota Statutes sections 136A.61 to 136A.71. Registration is not an endorsement of the institution. Credits earned at the institution may not transfer to all other institutions

1450 Energy Park Drive, Suite 350
St. Paul, MN 55108-5227
651.642.0533
https://www.ohe.state.mn.us/

For learners seeking complaint resolution through the Minnesota Office of Higher Education: In some circumstances, Learners may submit their complaints to the Minnesota Office of Higher Education. For more information, please see Minnesota Statute 136A.672. Learners in California, Florida, and Georgia should contact their states’ higher education regulatory authorities.

Nevada Commission on Postsecondary Education

2800 E. St. Louis Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89104
702.486.7330

Nevada maintains a student indemnification account that may be used to indemnify a student or enrollee who has suffered damage as a result of the discontinuance of operation or violation of any provision of NRS 394.383 to 394.560.

Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission (NCQAC)

Capella University is approved by the Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission to provide practice experiences in the state of Washington for DNP and MSN programs. For more information go to this website link: http://www.doh.wa.gov/LicensesPermitsandCertificates/NursingCommission/NursingPrograms.aspx

 

 

Student Complaint Contact Information

Capella University’s Learner Grievance Policy provides a structured process for resolving problems, complaints, or grievances relating to the execution of institutional policies or procedures. Students who have complaints that have not otherwise been resolved through contact with Academic Advising, Enrollment Services, Financial Aid, University Operations Support, or Technical Support may submit their request to [email protected].

Capella University is an approved institutional participant in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA). Students whose complaints are not otherwise resolved through Capella’s internal grievance process, and who reside in a SARA member-state (https://nc-sara.org/directory) may appeal their complaint to the Minnesota Office of Higher Education (which oversees SARA institutions in Minnesota) for review after exhausting Capella’s internal grievance process. Note: Nothing precludes the state where the student is located from also working to help resolve a student’s complaint.

Students whose complaints are not otherwise resolved through Capella’s internal grievance process, and who do not reside in a SARA state may file a complaint with the appropriate agency in the student’s state of residence.

See below for contact information for Capella's regional accreditor and all states and U.S. territories where complaints may be filed. Note: Links to external websites are not maintained by Capella University. Information may change without Capella's knowledge.

Higher Learning Commission
230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500
Chicago, Illinois 60604-1411
Phone: 800.621.7440 or 312.263.0456
Fax: 312.263.7462
[email protected]

ALABAMA
Alabama Commission on Higher Education
https://www.accs.cc/index.cfm/school-licensure/complaints/

ALASKA
Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education
https://acpe.alaska.gov/ConsumerProtection

AMERICAN SAMOA
American Samoa Department of Education
http://www.doe.as/

ARIZONA
Arizona SARA Council
https://azsara.arizona.edu/complaints

ARKANSAS
Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board
http://www.adhe.edu/students-parents/colleges-universites/student-grievance-form

CALIFORNIA
California Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education
http://www.bppe.ca.gov/enforcement/complaint.shtml

COLORADO
Colorado Department of Higher Education
http://highered.colorado.gov/Academics/Complaints/default.html

CONNECTICUT
Connecticut Office of Higher Education
http://www.ctohe.org/StudentComplaints.shtml

DELAWARE
Delaware Department of Education, Higher Education Office
http://dedoe.schoolwires.net/domain/157

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Education Licensure Commission
http://osse.dc.gov/service/higher-education-licensure-commission-helc-public-complaints

FLORIDA
Florida Department of Education, Commission on Independent Education
https://www.fldoe.org/about-us/office-of-the-inspector-general/file-a-complaint.stml

GEORGIA
Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission
http://gnpec.org/consumer-resources/gnpec-authorized-school-complainant-form/

GUAM
Guam Department of Education
https://sites.google.com/a/gdoe.net/gdoe/

HAWAII
Hawaii Postsecondary Education Authorization Program
http://cca.hawaii.gov/hpeap/student-complaint-process/

IDAHO
Idaho State Board of Education
https://boardofed.idaho.gov/higher-education-private/private-colleges-degree-granting/student-complaint-procedures/

ILLINOIS
Illinois Board of Higher Education
http://www.ibhe.state.il.us/consumerinfo/complaint.htm

INDIANA
Indiana Commission for Higher Education
http://www.in.gov/che/2744.htm

IOWA
Iowa Student Aid Commission
https://www.iowacollegeaid.gov/sdrf-start

KANSAS
Kansas Board of Regents
http://www.kansasregents.org/resources/PDF/Academic_Affairs/3257-ComplaintForm_SARAinstitutions.pdf

KENTUCKY
Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education
http://cpe.ky.gov/campuses/consumer_complaint.html

LOUISIANA
Louisiana Board of Regents
http://www.regents.la.gov/page/SARAComplaints

MAINE
Maine Department of Higher Education
https://www.maine.gov/doe/learning/highered/sara

MARYLAND
Maryland Higher Education Commission
http://mhec.maryland.gov/institutions_training/Pages/career/pcs/complaint.aspx

MASSACHUSETTS
Massachusetts Board of Higher Education
https://www.mass.edu/forstufam/complaints/complaints.asp

MICHIGAN
Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
http://www.michigan.gov/lara/0,4601,7-154-61343_35414_60647_2739---,00.html

MINNESOTA
Minnesota Office of Higher Education
http://www.ohe.state.mn.us/mPg.cfm?pageID=1078

MISSISSIPPI
Mississippi Commission on College Accreditation
http://www.mississippi.edu/mcca/

MISSOURI
Missouri Department of Higher Education
http://dhe.mo.gov/contactus.php

MONTANA
Montana University System, Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education
http://mus.edu/MUS-Statement-of-Complaint-Process.asp

NEBRASKA
Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education
https://ccpe.nebraska.gov/state-authorization-reciprocity-agreements-sara

NEVADA
Nevada System of Higher Education
https://www.nevada.edu/ir/documents/sara/SARA_Complaint_Resolution_Form_Rev_Protected.pdf

NEW HAMPSHIRE
New Hampshire Department of Higher Education, Higher Education Commission
https://www.education.nh.gov/pathways-education/higher-education-new-hampshire

NEW JERSEY
New Jersey Secretary of Higher Education
http://www.state.nj.us/highereducation/OSHEComplaintInstructions.shtml

NEW MEXICO
New Mexico Higher Education Department
http://www.hed.state.nm.us/programs/private.aspx

NEW YORK
New York State Education Department, Office of College and University Evaluation
http://www.highered.nysed.gov/ocue/spr/COMPLAINTFORMINFO.html

NORTH CAROLINA
The University of North Carolina Board of Governors
https://www.northcarolina.edu/post-secondary-education-complaints/

NORTH DAKOTA
North Dakota University System
https://www.ndus.edu/system/state-authorization/

NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS
Commissioner of Education
http://www.cnmipss.org/

OHIO
Ohio Department of Higher Education
https://www.ohiohighered.org/students/complaints

OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
http://www.okhighered.org/current-college-students/complaints.shtml

OREGON
Higher Education Coordinating Commission
http://www.oregon.gov/highered/institutions-programs/private/Pages/private-postsecondary-complaints.aspx

PENNSYLVANIA
Pennsylvania Department of Education
https://www.education.pa.gov/Postsecondary-Adult/CollegeCareer/Pages/Students-Complaints.aspx

PUERTO RICO
Puerto Rico Council on Higher Education
http://www.ce.pr.gov/

RHODE ISLAND
Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner
http://www.riopc.edu/static/photos/2016/03/10/StudentComplaint_full_120215.pdf

SOUTH CAROLINA
South Carolina Commission on Higher Education
https://che.sc.gov/sites/che/files/Documents/Institutions%20and%20Educators/Complaint_Procedures_and_Form.pdf

SOUTH DAKOTA
SD Board of Regents
https://www.sdbor.edu/administrative-offices/academics/SD-SARA/Pages/default.aspx

TENNESSEE
Tennessee Higher Education Commission, Division of Postsecondary School Authorization
https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/thec/bureau/student_aid_and_compliance/dpsa/Complaint_Form_(Rev._12.16)_1-26-17.pdf

TEXAS
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
https://www.highered.texas.gov/links/student-complaints/

U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS
U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Education
http://www.vide.vi/

UTAH
Utah Division of Consumer Protection
https://consumerprotection.utah.gov/complaints.html

VERMONT
Vermont Agency of Education
http://education.vermont.gov/documents/postsecondary-program-complaint-resolution

VIRGINIA
State Council of Higher Education for Virginia
http://www.schev.edu/index/students-and-parents/resources/student-complaints

WASHINGTON
Washington Student Achievement Council
http://www.wsac.wa.gov/student-complaints

WEST VIRGINIA
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
http://www.wvhepc.edu/inside-the-commission/special-initiatives/state-authorization-reciprocity-agreement-sara/

WISCONSIN
Wisconsin Educational Approval Board
http://eab.state.wi.us/resources/complaint.asp

WYOMING
Wyoming Community College Commission
https://communitycolleges.wy.edu/sara.aspx

Rights to Change Requirements

Neither the Capella University catalog, nor any of the information and requirements contained therein constitute a contract or create any contractual commitments between Capella University and any student, any prospective student, or any third party. The information and program requirements contained in this Capella University catalog are regularly updated and are subject to change without notice. All updates to the catalog will be posted on Capella's Web site.

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Annual Security Report

Federal regulations require Capella to provide the 2023 Annual Security Report to all current and prospective learners and employees. This report contains crime statistics for the previous three calendar years as well as various policies, procedures and program disclosures related to safety and security.

The report was originally published on September 28, 2023. Updated as of Januay 1, 2024.

Contact [email protected] to receive a printed copy of this report.

https://www.capella.edu/content/dam/capella/PDF/Annual_Security_Report.pdf

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Title IX Training

As required by Title IX, below are links to training materials used to meet the University’s Title IX compliance obligations to train Title IX Coordinators, investigators, decision-makers and informal resolution facilitators.

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