Substantive Change FAQs

No. Folder and file names in a PDF Portfolio cannot be renamed. When uploaded, the resulting path + file names can exceed Microsoft’s maximum (256 characters). This leaves your submission unreadable. There are other technical issues with PDF Portfolio files. Instead of PDF Portfolio, we suggest you: (1) create a single file submission, or (2) zip (compress) multiple files into a single uploadable (.ZIP) file. Ensure embedded navigation links work after being unzipped by testing the file on a different computer (hint: always use relative paths, not absolute paths).

Yes.  Stage is the current status of your substantive change review.  The review process is divided into a series of discrete stages.  As the review progresses, the stage updates in real-time in the institutional portal.  A one-page reference — Substantive Change Committee Review Stages [PDF] — is available with a brief description of each stage and the typical review sequence from start to finish.

Yes, if your incarcerated students will be offered access to Pell grants.

No, if your incarcerate students will not be offered access to Pell grants.
There’s a difference between what an institution may call its prison education program (used generically) and the federal Prison Education Program or PEP (used to reference the federal financial aid program implemented in 2023). PEP, as used in the SACSCOC substantive change policy, refers to the federal Prison Education Program (PEP) only.

Yes, you need to upload a document for now even though it seems redundant. We know it’s extra work, but it’s necessary to have both your online answers and an institution-written document. This helps ensure adequate documentation of your off-campus instructional sites.

You probably didn’t finish all the steps; i.e., there were more questions to be answered or screens to be read. Keep going until you see and click the “Submit” button at the very end. If you stopped too soon, you’ll have to start over with a new submission. Don’t worry — the unfinished one (i.e., no upload) will be automatically deleted.
Tip: An assigned Case ID doesn’t mean you’re finished — keep going and “Submit.”

Yes.

Yes. However, do not admit, conditionally admit, or matriculate until approved by the SACSCOC Board of Trustees.

Yes. In your teach-out plan, note that governing board approval is required but is pending.  When your teach-out plan is read by a SACSCOC staff member, we’ll defer the review by asking you for approval documentation which you’ll upload when you’ve received it. Keep in mind that deferrals are for a maximum of 180 days; if you don’t have approval by then, then you’ll need to start over.

Yes.  As a rule, policies are effective the date they are approved by the SACSCOC Board of Trustees. Carefully review, using the redline version of the policy changes, any new or different requirements for the substantive change type you’re submitting and ensure your submission addresses the current policy requirements.

We’re refreshing the FAQ page content. Some of the prior questions were, well, infrequently asked now so we’re starting over and adding more timely FAQs received from institutions. Let us know what questions you’d like to see here and we’ll do our best to answer them.

Yes.  Submit your substantive change through the portal only; don’t mail, ship, or email.  For guidance, refer to the Documents Submitted for SACSCOC Review policy, viz., Appendix A (Electronic Submission of Documents).  An Institutional Portal User Guide is available in the portal.

No.  An audited/reviewed financial statement is required; unaudited is insufficient.  If your institutional financial statements are included as supplemental schedules to the opinioned system audit, that may be submitted as audit evidence.  The schedules must be a published part of the audit to be considered.  Additional institutional finance guidance, including audits, is available on the SACSCOC website; this guidance is in the context of compliance certifications and monitoring reports, but the core audit guidance applies to substantive change submissions, too.