Are you looking to further your education or career, but have limits on your time or transportation access?
Online and distance education is an important part of A-B Tech's program and course offerings, with many students participating in federal financial aid. Distance learning at A-B Tech can help you achieve your educational and career goals. These can be accomplished without compromising your job or family life. When considering your online educational options, it is important to remember that A-B Tech is a part of your community. We are local, accessible, affordable, and focused on helping you succeed. Distance Learning allows you to take accredited courses from any location, at your convenience.
Many students appreciate the flexible scheduling and convenience of not having to travel to campus on a regular basis. This is ideal for those with demanding work schedules, and family responsibilities, and those who cannot travel to campus due to transportation, scheduling conflicts, or physical challenges. Distance Learning courses give students greater flexibility in course scheduling and students find that they have greater control over the learning process and are able to customize their course time and work in a way that best suits their specific schedule.
The recent changes to the Higher Education Act of 1965 include changes in regulation for State Authorization that may impact online, distance, and print-based education providers. The related regulations include:
If an institution is offering postsecondary education through distance or correspondence education to students in a State in which it is not physically located or in which it is otherwise subject to State jurisdiction as determined by the State, the institution must meet any State requirements for it to be legally offering postsecondary distance or correspondence education in that State. An institution must be able to document to the Secretary of the State’s approval upon request. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1001 and 1002)
Electronic Campus
A-B Tech is a member of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NCSARA) which allows students to enroll in online distance education classes from most of the United States and several territories. The State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) is an agreement among member states, districts, and territories that establish comparable national standards for the interstate offering of postsecondary distance education courses and programs. The primary objectives of SARA are to make it easier for institutions in North Carolina to provide online and distance education options to students in other states and to provide basic protections for those students.
What are my benefits as a student?
- Expands access to educational offerings.
- This should lead to better resolution of complaints from students in SARA states.
- Reduces a rapidly growing institutional cost that is in one way or another passed along to students.
- Should enhance the overall quality of distance education
A-B Tech's online courses are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
Helpful Links & Resources for Online/Distance Education Students
- Student Complaint Process
- Consumer Information
- State Authorization
- Student Support Services
- Online Orientation
- New Student Welcome Guide
- Advising/Counseling
- Locke Library
- Book Store
- Moodle
- HelpDesk (Technical issues)
Professional Licensure
*If you considering a program at A-B Tech that leads to licensure or certification and you do not live in NC, please contact the respective licensing board in the state where you reside before beginning the program. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the licensing board in the state in which they live or intend to practice.