In accordance with the U.S. Department of Education's regulation (34 C.F.R. §600.9) regarding legal authorization to provide postsecondary education through distance or correspondence education 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 University of Saint Mary makes every effort to receive authorization from each state in which its distance/online students reside.
On February 9, 2015, the University of Saint Mary became an institutional participant in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) initiative. With this membership, University of Saint Mary programs are automatically available to students who reside in participating states. At present, the following states have joined the NC-SARA initiative:
| Alabama | Illinois | Montana | Rhode Island |
| Alaska | Indiana | Nebraska | South Carolina |
| Arizona | Iowa | Nevada | South Dakota |
| Arkansas | Kansas | New Hampshire | Tennessee |
| California* | Kentucky | New Jersey | Texas |
| Colorado | Louisiana | New Mexico | U.S. Virgin Islands |
| Connecticut | Maine | New York | Utah |
| Delaware | Maryland | North Carolina | Vermont |
| District of Columbia | Massachusetts* | North Dakota | Virginia |
| Florida | Michigan | Ohio | Washington |
| Georgia | Minnesota | Oklahoma | West Virginia |
| Hawaii | Mississippi | Oregon | Wisconsin |
| Idaho | Missouri | Pennsylvania | Wyoming |
*California and Massachusetts have not joined the NC-SARA initiative; however, no authorization is required for 100% online programs (October 1, 2017)
In accordance with the U.S. Department of Education, the Kansas Board of Regents requires private postsecondary institutions operating in Kansas have a process to review and act on student complaints.
Students wishing to file a complaint should contact Michelle Metzinger, Vice President for Academic Affairs at michelle.metzinger@stmary.edu. If further resolution is required for online students, the USM web site provides a list of home state representatives posted here.