In this section

Distance Education Student Information and Procedures

1: Notice of Nondiscrimination

UM-Dearborn is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, height, weight, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. The University’s full nondiscrimination policy as well as contact information for submitting inquiries and complaints concerning discrimination is available from the Equity, Civil Rights, and Title IX Office.

2: International Students

Students pursuing online degrees should note that some countries may not formally recognize foreign online degrees, which can have implications for students who later seek to enroll in other educational programs, or for those who seek employment with their home country’s government or other employers requiring specific credentials. Additionally, some countries may or may not require foreign higher education institutions to comply with distance education regulations. UM-Dearborn does not represent or guarantee that its online degree programs are recognized in or meet requirements to comply with distance education regulations in the student’s country of residence, if it is outside the United States. It is therefore the student’s responsibility to understand current circumstances or special requirements surrounding whether this online degree will be recognized in the student’s country of residence, how the collection of student data may be used in said country, and whether the student will be subject to additional withholding taxes in addition to the price of tuition.

Visas

As online degrees offered by UM-Dearborn do not require students to physically attend UM-Dearborn's campuses or enter the United States, acceptance into a UM-Dearborn online degree program does not provide a pathway to a student visa. Similarly, the U.S. government imposes significant restrictions on online-course enrollments that apply to individuals located in the United States on student visas, which may prevent these individuals from enrolling in or completing online degree programs.

Blocked Countries

To comply with U.S. export control regulations, UM-Dearborn does not currently offer online programs to individuals located* in the following areas**:

  • Cuba
  • North Korea
  • Iran
  • Sudan
  • Syria
  • Crimea region
  • Donetsk region
  • Luhansk region
  • Sevastopol region

*Qualified and otherwise eligible students who are citizens of the above-listed countries and regions but reside elsewhere may be required to attest in a certification statement that they no longer reside in a comprehensively sanctioned country or region as part of the admissions process. Additional admissions requirements may also apply.

**This list is subject to change as sanctions change and are added over time. Therefore, this list may not be fully exhaustive and may contain out-of-date information.

Professional Licensure and Required Experiential Learning Placements

Unless specifically indicated by academic program representatives or informational materials, the University of Michigan (U-M) does not represent or guarantee that its online degree programs will satisfy professional licensure requirements outside of the United States. (Within the United States, the degree to which the completion of a program satisfies educational requirements for licensure also varies.) Likewise—unless specifically indicated by academic program representatives or informational materials—U-M makes no representation with regard to (i) whether a field experience, clinical rotation, or other experiential learning placements completed in a foreign jurisdiction would satisfy licensure requirements in the United States and (ii) whether an experiential learning placement completed as part of a U-M program, regardless of whether it is completed inside or outside of the United States, would satisfy requirements set by a foreign professional licensure agency operating outside of the United States.

Therefore, students and prospective students should independently research and determine whether completing an online or hybrid program at U-M—including the specific circumstances under which an experiential learning placement would be completed, when applicable—would satisfy educational requirements of the jurisdiction in which they intend to seek licensure.

Restricted Access to Technology, Tools, Content, and Services

Certain foreign governments use firewalls to block or limit access to Internet content, which can impact a student’s ability to access course materials and supporting tools and technologies, including those provided by the University, its partners, and third parties. When available to students, the use of a virtual private network (VPN) may enhance a student’s access. Export controls can further limit UM-Dearborn’s ability to provide students in foreign jurisdictions with certain downloadable content and programs. The University is committed to working with students who experience access limitations, but as these international restrictions may be beyond the University’s and the student’s control, the University cannot guarantee full and uninterrupted access to its online educational content, technologies, tools, and services in all international jurisdictions. Please review any notices published by the program you are interested in to learn more.

Background Screening for Export Control and Sanctions Compliance

Qualified international applicants who do not currently hold a valid U.S. visa will be subjected to additional background checks through international databases prior to receiving a final offer of admission. These screening procedures support the University’s efforts to avoid transacting with persons designated under U.S. sanctions programs.  

Data Privacy and Protection

Personal information—whether volunteered, collected through automated processes (e.g., cookies operating on U-M and UM-Dearborn websites), or retrieved from third-parties—will be processed in the United States. For students participating in UM-Dearborn distance education programs from a European Union (EU) member state, please note that while the United States has not received a finding of “adequacy” under Article 45 of the EU’s Global Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), U-M has invested considerable resources into data privacy initiatives and has established significant safeguards for personal data transfers. Additional information regarding data collection, processing, and sharing practices, as well as a description of the rights afforded to EU distance-education students, is available on the UM-Dearborn privacy policy and the U-M privacy statement. Individual programs may provide supplemental disclosures when their practices differ. 

Financial Aid, Scholarships, and Taxes

U.S. Citizenship or legal permanent residency is a requirement for federal financial aid and FAFSA eligibility. University and advertised external scholarships may not be available to all international students. Students and prospective students are advised to review all eligibility criteria listed for such scholarships carefully. Depending on your location or country of citizenship, you may be required to pay taxes in your location or country of citizenship, in addition to the tuition and fees you will pay to the UM-Dearborn. These taxes may result from “purchasing” educational content, receiving scholarships, or from other triggering events relating to your participation in this online program.

3: Identity Verification

Statement of Educational Purpose.

Like residential students, online students may be asked to complete U-M’s Identity Verification and Statement of Educational Purpose form if required by the program or if selected for verification from the U.S. Department of Education. If required, students who are unable to come to campus and complete this form can instead appear before a Notary Public with appropriate government-issued identification to satisfy these requirements. A Notary can typically be found at a local bank, credit union, insurance agency, shipping store, or law office. Students are responsible for all costs associated with completing this form and providing it to the University. Please find additional details provided on the webpage linked above, and note that individual schools and colleges at the University may require these same (or similar) steps be completed by all incoming students, regardless of whether they are seeking federal student aid.

Two-Factor Authentication

Two-factor (Duo) authentication for Weblogin is required for all students of any U-M campus (Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint), including those enrolled in online programs, when logging into U-M accounts. Students can choose from a list of several authentication options from Duo to gain access. Some methods for two-factor authentication, such as the Duo Mobile app, Security Keys (e.g., Yubikey), and hardware tokens, may not be used by students located in certain countries or geographic regions due to U.S. export control laws or local restrictions in the country from which you are accessing online programs. Alternative options for gaining access are available for affected students, but may result in additional fees.*

The currently recommended option for international students who, for whatever reason, cannot use the Duo Mobile app is to receive a text message with passcodes. Students will need to enroll a cell phone. A text message will contain a set of 10 passcodes in a single text message that are good when used within 30 days. When used in combination with the “Remember me for 7 days” option (on the Duo login screen), a single text message should enable a student to log in as often as needed for 30 days. See how to get passcodes via text message.

*Standard as well as applicable international text messaging and phone call rates will apply when using a phone for two-factor authentication or to receive a bypass code. 

4: Use of Student Recordings and Materials

As part of participation in online courses or programs at or through UM-Dearborn, the University may make and use photographic, audio, video, or other recordings (the “Recordings”) of the student, their voice, and their likeness. This also may include personally identifiable information, education records, and use of the learning management system. Recordings may include work product and other materials, whether or not copyrighted by the student or others, that are made available as part of participation in online courses or programs at or through the University (the “Materials”).

The Recordings may be necessary for participation in University online degree-granting courses and will be used internally and externally during and after the student's enrollment for purposes related to instruction, evaluation, classroom participation, conflict resolution and academic integrity, among others. Recordings and Materials may also be shared with University officials and third parties acting on behalf of the University in connection with administration of online courses and programs. 

Recordings and Materials that amount to education records protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) are subject to UM-Dearborn’s FERPA policies.

5: State Authorization

UM-Dearborn is an accredited public institution that participates in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA). This combination of factors authorizes UM-Dearborn to enroll online students from all states and territories in the United States. This also means that otherwise eligible and qualifying students, whether participating in-state or out-of-state, can use federal financial aid to support tuition and fees associated with UM-Dearborn online degrees and certificates. Additional, state-by-state information is provided below. 

While programs that lead to professional licensure may be “authorized” in a student's home state, this does not guarantee that the program will also satisfy prerequisites for becoming licensed in the profession as defined by the applicable state licensing body in that state. The Licensure section below contains more information. 

Please also note that there may be consequences with regard to professional licensure eligibility for students who move to other states or territories while completing online programs. For programs leading to professional licensure, students are advised to determine whether their program will satisfy the academic prerequisites for professional licensure in a new state.

6: Licensure

To better inform current and prospective students and to comply with federal disclosure requirements, UM-Dearborn provides information regarding whether completion of a program that is designed to meet or advertised as meeting educational requirements for licensure would be sufficient to meet such requirements in each U.S. state, territory, and district (collectively, “State”). Please note that educational prerequisites to licensure can sometimes vary considerably by state and determinations may not have been made in all cases. Where determinations have not been made, this information will be disclosed as well.

These notices, where applicable, will generally be found on program description or FAQ pages. If you need assistance locating professional licensure notifications applicable to your current or desired program of study, please contact your department directly. You may also be able to locate this information through one of the links provided below. Depending on what determinations have been made with regard to licensure eligibility where individual students or applicants are located, some may receive additional information in the form of direct notifications from their department.

Note that additional, non-educational requirements for professional licensure such as work and examination requirements also vary by State. Students are ultimately responsible for researching, understanding, and satisfying these requirements in the State in which they will seek licensure.

Professional Licensure Disclosure Information by Program Area/Major

*Not all Schools offer programs leading to professional licensure. Additionally, this list may not be exhaustive or updated. States differ as to which professions are regulated through licensure requirements. Common categories include but are not limited to legal services, social services, architecture, engineering, education, accounting, and healthcare. If you believe your program is designed to meet (or has been advertised as meeting) educational requirements for a specific occupational license, but you are unable to locate a notice through the links provided, this information may still be available at a different location. Please contact your department directly if you are unable to locate this information.

You are also encouraged to contact the appropriate licensing body in your state with any questions relating to professional licensure. CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, provides a survey tool for locating regulatory bodies associated with licensed professions in each state. In addition, the Council on Licensure, Enforcement, and Regulation (CLEAR) hosts contact information for many licensing boards categorized both by jurisdiction and by profession.

Direct Disclosures and Student Location Determination Procedures

Federal Authorization and Professional Licensure Disclosure laws (34 CFR 600.9(c) and 34 CFR 688.43(c)) require UM-Dearborn to determine student location in order to provide students with the appropriate authorization and licensing disclosures. When applicable, individual disclosures will be made using the information provided by the applicant prior to their initial enrollment in the academic program. Initial enrollment occurs when an admitted student registers for their first term courses. If the applicant’s department has not received updated location information prior to sending its pre-enrollment disclosures, the department will use the address provided on a student’s application.

To report a change in location after initial disclosures have been sent, students should update their local or permanent address through UM-Dearborn's official name and address change processes. Upon receiving a location-change notification from the Office of the Registrar, the student’s department, School, or College will be responsible for providing updated disclosures to the student, when applicable.

7: Complaints for Distance Education Students

UM-Dearborn is fully committed to serving all students, whether participating in person or online

The University encourages students and prospective students to address complaints relating to the institution’s policies and consumer protection issues first with personnel in the office, department, school, or college that led to the complaint alleged.  If needed, senior University administrators may also become involved to help resolve complaints.

  • Complaints relating to online course technology or digital education support should be directed to the University Director of Digital Education. If the complaint is unresolved, the matter may be escalated to the relevant Associate Provost overseeing digital education.
  • Complaints relating to harassment or discrimination, should be directed to the Equity, Civil Rights, and Title IX Office.
  • Complaints relating to the institution’s policies and consumer protection issues should be directed to leadership personnel in the office, department, or college where the complaint originated.

If your complaint is not resolved to your satisfaction after exhausting UM-Dearborn’s processes, your complaint may be eligible for external review by one or more agencies. These processes are detailed below. Please note that student complaints relating to student grades or student misconduct will not be heard by any of the following agencies. Such complaints may be reviewed through the established UM-Dearborn procedures. Allegations of fraud or other criminal misconduct against UM-Dearborn can always be heard by the attorney general or other designated entities in a student’s home state.

  • Both Michigan residents and students located in a state or territory that has joined the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA), as indicated in the state list provided below (marked with an asterisk*), may submit a complaint to Michigan’s Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, which operates as Michigan’s SARA portal entity. Additional information regarding complaint eligibility can be found in the CSCL complaint form linked above and in the Consumer Protection section of the SARA Manual.
  • Students not residing in Michigan or in another SARA state, or in-state students with complaints that do not fall within the scope of SARA, may instead contact the relevant agency in your home state for additional support. This contact information is provided for you below.
  • Active military service members, veterans, and family members of military service members or veterans may be eligible to submit a complaint for review to the Department of Defense (DoD) by utilizing the Military OneSource Postsecondary Education Complaint System.
  • UM-Dearborn is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Complaints concerning broad institutional academic practices, such as those that raise issues regarding ability to meet accreditation standards, may be filed with the Higher Learning Commission through their complaints page.

8: Authorizations and Complaint Processes by State

*This state/district/territory has joined SARA, and the student should submit applicable, unresolved complaints to Michigan’s SARA Portal Entity.