Substantive Changes

Updates and announcements

  • Program length change: New federal regulation, effective July 1, 2024, limit program length for certain gainful employment programs. An institution may, at its discretion, submit a Program Length Change prospectus for approval even if none of the current policy-defined criteria requiring approval are met. The online screening form to submit a Program Length Change has been modified to accommodate this condition. This exception will be included in the next revision of the substantive change policy, subject to SACSCOC Board of Trustees approval. Refer to 34 C.F.R. § 668.14(b)(26) for guidance.
  • Substantive Change Committee Review Stages [PDF]:  a one-page reference of review stages, definitions, and typical sequence
  • New webinar:
    Prison Education Program (PEP) Revised Processes and Lessons Learned [Zoom] and handout [PDF] (recorded July 31, 2024)
  • The Substantive Change Policy and Procedures was revised by the SACSCOC Board of Trustees on June 13, 2024. 
    • The revised version is now available.  It is effective immediately. A redline version is available noting all changes with select accompanying comments and explanations of the changes.
    • Click your browser’s reload or refresh button to access the most recent version of the policy; ensure you have the updated version by confirming the revision date — June 2024 — printed on the final page of the policy.
  • Substantive Change FAQs:  We’re rebuilding the FAQ webpage with more timely questions and answers. Watch for new content over the coming weeks. 
  • Substantive Change Workshop:  SACSCOC is offering its one-day, in-person, substantive change workshop:
    • Monday, September 16, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn., and
    • Friday, November 8, 2024, in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
    • For additional information – — including learning objectives, intended audience, and registration links as they are available — visit the Substantive Change Workshop webpage.
  • Prison Education Program (PEP) information

    • PEP obligations and process have been changed since initially added to the substantive change policy in 2023; refer to the current policy — dated June 2024 — for the most current information.
    • A publicly available resource folder contains information from multiple sources for your reference.  New and recently added items are noted.
    • The U.S. Department of Education (USDE) has a comprehensive and regularly updated PEP questions and answers webpage.

Upcoming dates and deadlines

Note:  All Substantive Change submissions must be made using the institutional portal.

  • January 1, 2025:  Deadline to submit substantive changes to be implemented July 1, 2025, through December 31, 2025, requiring approval by the Executive Council of the SACSCOC Board of Trustees.
  • March 15, 2025:  Deadline to submit substantive changes requiring review by the SACSCOC Board of Trustees in June 2025.  Carefully review the Substantive Change Policy and Procedures to determine if a substantive change type or institutional status requires Board review at a regularly scheduled biannual meeting (usually in June and December; also referred to as “C&R”) or if it can be reviewed by the Executive Council of the Board (year-round).  See also “Board review pathways” in the substantive change policy

Substantive change policy and related policies

Webinars

Upcoming webinars:

  • Next planned webinar: 
    Updated Prison Education Program (PEP) Submissions and Processes
    Date + time:  To be determined; the date, time, and registration link will be available here when settled
    This webinar will cover the PEP changes in the June 2024 revision of the Substantive Change Policy and Procedures.

On-demand webinars :

Documents and Templates