Federal Distance Education Disclosure

Authorization to Offer Online Education in Other States and Territories

Baptist University of Florida participates with NC-SARA (the National Council of State Authorization of Reciprocity Agreements) in order to provide online education to students in 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. California is not included in NC-SARA. For more information about NC-SARA, please visit www.nc-sara.org.

Authorization to Offer Online Education in California

Baptist University of Florida is a non-public (private) higher education institution that is non-profit and accredited. Per Section 94801.5 of the California Education Code, Baptist University of Florida is exempt from the requirement to register with the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education and may offer online courses to students residing in the State of California.

Distance Education (Online) Student Complaints

Out-of-state distance education students participating under NC-SARA (the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements) who have completed the internal institutional grievance process and the applicable state grievance process may appeal non-instructional complaints to the Florida SARA Council. For additional information on the complaint process, please visit the FL-SARA Complaint Process page at http://www.fldoe.org/sara/complaint-process.stml.

Refund Policies

Information about Refund Policies may also be found in the Academic Catalog in the Finances Section.

Drop/Add Refund Policy

Students who drop courses prior to the beginning of classes or during the Drop/Add period of any semester will receive a full refund of tuition and fees. No refunds will be granted for drops after the end of the Drop/Add period. In the Fall and Spring semesters, Drop/Add begins the first day of the semester and extends for seven calendar days, not class days (see the BUF Academic Calendar). In the eleven-week Summer session, Drop/Add begins the first class day and extends for seven calendar days (not class days).

Regular Withdrawal Refund Policy

Students who officially withdraw from school during the Fall or Spring semester will receive a tuition refund according to the following schedule.

Fall and Spring Semesters (Days=Calendar Days)

Summer Withdrawal Refund Policy

Students who officially withdraw from school during the Summer semester will receive a tuition refund according to the following schedule.

Eleven Week Summer Courses (Days=Calendar Days)

General Disclosures about Programs Leading to Professional Licensure

As part of our commitment to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA), Baptist University of Florida wants all students to be aware of programs in our curriculum that lead to professional licensure. BUF currently has two such programs - the Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and the Bachelor of Music Education. These two programs have been approved by the State of Florida Department of Education for the following dates (BAEE 2014-2024, BME 2018-2024).

Please note that all students in these two programs must pass all sections of the Florida Teacher Certification Exams and must complete an internship in a Florida public classroom.

Florida Certification Information

Students completing these two programs are eligible to apply for a Professional Florida Teaching Certificate from the State of Florida Department of Education.

Other Education-Related Programs Not Leading to Professional Licensure

For other education-related degree programs at BUF (Education Studies and History/Social Studies Secondary Education), completion of one of these degrees does not lead to professional licensure. Students completing one of these programs may become eligible for professional licensure through an alternate certification route.

Florida Contact Information

Students interested in obtaining a Florida teaching certificate should contact the Florida Department of Education, Bureau of Educator Certification, Room 201, Turlington Building, 325 West Gaines Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399, (800-445-6739), http://www.fldoe.org/teaching/certification/index.stml.

Out of State Students Seeking Professional Licensure

Fully-online students residing outside the State of Florida may enroll in either the Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education or Bachelor of Music Education degrees. However, all new students in these two programs are required to pass all sections of the Florida Teacher Certification Exams and must complete an internship in a Florida public classroom. As such, completion of either of these two degrees leads only to professional licensure in the State of Florida.

Once the Florida Professional Certificate has been obtained, students may seek a reciprocal teaching certificate in their state of residence. Based on the most recent information we have (January 2023), we can provide the following information about reciprocal teaching certificates from other states:

1. The following states grant reciprocal certification (assuming submission of a valid professional license, a completed application, transcripts, fees, verification of identification, background checks, and other required documentation): Arizona, Idaho, Illinois, Mississippi, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming.
2. The following states grant reciprocal certification with additional requirements (such as additional testing or other steps toward full certification): Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
3. The following states do not grant reciprocal certification but provide the option of applying for a teaching certificate based on the submission of a valid professional license, verification of identification, transcripts, background checks, and other requirements: Kentucky, Montana, New York, Utah, and the US Virgin Islands.
4. At this time, we cannot determine whether the following states and/or territories provide reciprocity certification: California (not a member of NC-SARA), and Puerto Rico.