U.S. Department of Education regulation 600.9(c) requires that if an institution is offering online learning in a state where it is not physically located, the institution must meet individual state requirements for offering online learning to students within that state.

Lenoir Community College, LCC, is approved to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA). As a result, LCC is authorized to offer online courses to students in states and territories that participate in NC-SARA, which includes all states except California and also includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

U.S. Department of Education regulations requires Lenoir Community College to provide students with contact information for filing complaints at various levels. LCC faculty and staff attempt, in good faith, to resolve complaints and problems as they arise. However, if a matter remains unresolved, the purpose of the Student Grievance Procedure is to provide a procedure for resolving student complaints. This procedure applies to all student complaints, including but not limited to academic issues, student services or administrative concerns, or matters involving any form of discrimination or harassment. To file a complaint, submit the online Student Grievance Form.

If you have questions about LCC’s complaint process, please contact:

Students also may file a complaint at the state level or with Lenoir Community College’s accrediting agency. Information about these complaint options is listed below. In most cases, the student is required to exhaust all complaint avenues by using the college’s internal procedure before a complaint can be filed at the state or accrediting agency level. As such, students are advised to first attempt to resolve complaints with LCC using the online Student Grievance Form.

Students located in North Carolina may file a complaint with the North Carolina Post-Secondary Education Complaints unit. First review the NC Post-Secondary Student Complaints webpage. Print and complete the NC Post-Secondary Education Student Complaint Form and submit the complaint to:

If a complaint cannot be resolved internally, students located outside North Carolina may file a complaint with SARA-NC. Students should follow the SARA-NC Complaint process and use the SARA-NC Complaint Form and submit the complaint to:

Lenoir Community College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097, online at sacscoc.org, or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Lenoir Community College. Complaints may be filed with the Commission only if there is evidence that appears to support significant non-compliance with a SACSCOC requirement or standard by LCC. For information on filing a complaint with this body, students should consult page 10 of the SACSCOC Complaint Procedure (PDF). The contact information for SACSCOC is:

LCC does not charge a separate online learning identification fee to students.