State Authorization

Gannon University has been approved as a participating institution in SARA for state authorization of distance education.

Due to new federal regulations, any institution offering distance education programs and practicum experiences in states other than their own must receive authorization or be a SARA approved institution. Inquiries regarding state authorizations may be directed to:  Director of Distance Education, 109 University Square, Erie, PA. 16541. Telephone: (814) 871-7134, Email:  brieger001@gannon.edu.

Clinical/Internships/Field Experience/Practice Experience/Externship/Practicum

Please check the authorization information on the individual program pages to see which states Gannon University is authorized to offer ground clinical experiences.

Current Gannon University Programs that create this trigger: RN-BSN, MSN, DNP, DPT, MOT, MPAS, OTD.

Nursing (RN-BSN, MSN, DNP)

National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) has links to the Board(s) of Nursing for states on their website at https://www.ncsbn.org/contact-bon.htm

Gannon is not authorized to enroll online RN-BSN or DNP nursing students in the State of Tennessee.

Physician Assistant (MPAS)

PA State Licensing Boards 

Physical Therapy (PT)

• PT Licensing Authorities
• PT State Authorization

Occupational Therapy (OTD, PP-OTD, MOT)

• Occupational Therapy Fieldwork Questions
• Occupational Therapy Regulatory Authority Contact List
• Occupational Therapy State Authorization
• Occupational Therapy Doctorate State Authorization

Complaint Process 

In compliance with 34 CFR 668.43(b) Code of Federal Regulation and U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) rules, an institution offering distance education must "provide its students or prospective students with contact information for filing complaints with its accreditor and with its State approval or licensing entity and any other relevant State official or agency that would appropriately handle a student's complaint." 

It is a goal of Gannon University to serve students and prospects fairly and equitably. Gannon University encourages all current, former, and prospective students to submit any grievances, complaints, or concerns directly to the University first as outlined by the Academic Catalog and also by contacting the University Ombudsperson or filing a complaint at the Ethics Reporting Website [link to https://secure.ethicspoint.com/domain/media/en/gui/16548/index.html ].

If a student or prospect fails to come to a resolution with Gannon University, they may contact their state of residence. If a student or prospect is not satisfied with the outcome of the institutional process, the complaint may then be taken to the responsible state agency in the home state. Nothing precludes the state where the student is located from also working to help resolve the complaint. Compliant processes for each state are listed in the table below. Students can also file a complaint with SARA:

SARA Student Complaint Process http://nc-sara.org/content/sara-complaint-process

Students seeking information or assistance in any matter regarding accessibility or accommodations, who have questions concerning the above policy, or a possible complaint of discrimination on the basis of disability, should contact the 504/ADA Coordinator who is the University official designated to coordinate efforts to comply with the HEW regulation, Section 504, of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Telephone: (814) 871-5522.
  

INSTITUTIONAL REFUND POLICY

For 14 week semesters, a percentage of tuition charged will be refunded as follows: 100% during the first week; 80% the second week; 60% the third week; 40% the fourth week; and no tuition refund thereafter. For fees, 100% refund will be given during the first week; and no fee refund thereafter. For semesters less than 14 weeks, a percentage of tuition charged will be refunded as follows: 75% of tuition only will be refunded for courses dropped within the first five days of the start date of the course; and no refund thereafter. For students using deferment plans, the percentage of refund is applied to the amount of tuition charged, not the deposit paid.

For courses less than 14-weeks, as percentage of tuition charged will be refunded as follows: 100% of tuition only will be refunded for courses dropped within one week of the start dates of the course; and no refund thereafter.

Gannon adheres to the Federal Refund Policy for all students who receive Title IV Federal Funds. If a student completely withdraws from the University within the first 60% of the semester, all or a portion of federal aid may be returned. These policies are outlined in the online and print Catalog or can be obtained by contacting the Financial Aid Office or the Department of Education.

FEDERAL REFUND POLICY

The Financial Aid Office is required by federal statute to determine how much financial aid was earned by students who withdraw, drop out, are dismissed, or take a leave of absence prior to completing 60% of a payment period or term.

For a student who withdraws after the 60% point-in-time, there are no unearned funds. However, a school must still complete a Return calculation in order to determine whether the student is eligible for a post-withdrawal disbursement. The calculation is based on the percentage of earned aid using the following Federal Return of Title IV funds formula:

• Percentage of payment period or term completed is the number of days completed up to the withdrawal date divided by the total days in the payment period or term. (Any break of five days or more is not counted as part of the days in the term.) This percentage is also the percentage of earned aid.
• Funds are returned to the appropriate federal program based on the percentage of unearned aid using the following formula:
• Aid to be returned is (100% of the aid that could be disbursed minus the percentage of earned aid) multiplied by the total amount of aid that could have been disbursed during the payment period or term.
• If a student earned less aid than was disbursed, the institution would be required to return a portion of the funds and the student would be required to return a portion of the funds. Keep in mind that when Title IV funds are returned, the student borrower may owe a debit balance to the institution.
• If a student earned more aid than was disbursed to him/her, the institution would owe the student a post-withdrawal disbursement which must be paid within 120 days of the student's withdrawal.
• The institution must return the amount of Title IV funds for which it is responsible no later than 45 days after the date of the determination of the date of the student's withdrawal. Refunds are allocated in the following order:
  • Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans
  • Subsidized Federal Stafford Loans
  • Unsubsidized Direct Stafford Loans (other than PLUS loans)
  • Subsidized Direct Stafford Loans
  • Federal Perkins Loans
  • Federal Parent (PLUS) Loans
  • Direct PLUS Loans
  • Federal Pell Grants for which a Return of funds is required
  • Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grants for which a Return of funds is required
  • Other assistance under this Title for which a Return of funds is required (e.g. LEAP)