Where SAU's online nursing programs are authorized, and what it means for clinicals

01The current list

SAU describes itself as an NC-SARA approved institution and publishes one list for all of its nursing programs, not one per program. As checked on September 24, 2026, it names Alabama, Arizona, Louisiana and New York as the states without authorization for its nursing programs. Every other state is on the authorized list, with a footnote on Washington.

The online program pages point to that page as the most up-to-date list, so treat it as the reference and check it again before you enroll, move or sign up a preceptor. It has changed several times in four years.

One gap matters for clinicals. The page does not say whether the list follows where you live or where your clinical site is. SAU's FAQ tells you to choose a preceptor in your home state, which usually makes the two the same, but if you live near a border, ask your program which state governs.

02Washington: residents only, and not every program

According to SAU's footnote, Washington's State Board of Nursing approved SAU to run practice experiences in that state for Washington residents. The approval it names covers the Master of Science in Nursing programs and three certificates: the PMC Psychiatric Mental Health NP, PMC Family NP and PMC Adult-Gerontology NP.

The board's own list, dated June 2026, is narrower. It names six Spring Arbor tracks, all for Washington residents only: MSN FNP, MSN AGPCNP, MSN Nurse Educator, MSN PNP-PC, MSN PMHNP and the PMC PMHNP. It omits the PMC FNP and PMC AGNP that SAU's footnote claims, and lists no SAU MSN/MBA, DNP, RN-to-BSN, PMC Nurse Educator or PMC PNP. SAU's accreditations page adds a third version, naming only PNP-PC and PMHNP under the board's former name.

If you live in Washington, confirm with SAU that your exact program and entry route are covered before you ask anyone to precept you. The Washington page has more.

03Mississippi and the DNP page

The DNP page says the program is offered for residents in all states, then lists five states as not authorized: Alabama, Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi and New York. The main state authorization page listed Mississippi as authorized when checked in September 2026. The two SAU pages conflict, and the DNP page also lists Washington without any footnote.

A likely reason is timing, since Mississippi sat on the main page's not-authorized list until mid-2026. That is a reading of the history, though, not something SAU has said. DNP students in Mississippi should get a written answer from the program, where the Director of DNP and MSN-EDU/MSN-MBA Programs is the natural contact, before relying on either page. The DNP page covers the program itself.

04How the list has changed

The list has shifted more than most students realize. Internet Archive copies of SAU's page show states joining and leaving the not-authorized column, and Washington moving from a single program to none to a residents-only approval.

The latest change, between June and September 2026, restored Mississippi and opened Washington to residents, but earlier snapshots show states moving in both directions, sometimes within a year. If you plan to relocate during the program, check the page before you move, not after, and tell your program at the same time so any clinical plans can be adjusted.

05Licensure is a separate question

Authorization to enroll and train in a state is not the same as preparing you for licensure there. SAU's professional licensure disclosure, dated March 9, 2026, says its FNP, AGNP and PMHNP programs do not meet licensure requirements in Alabama, Arizona, Louisiana or New York. It does not mention the PNP. The same disclosure says nursing is the only SAU program approved for California students.

You also need an RN license that works where you train. The 2023-24 catalog calls for an unrestricted RN license in your state of practice for clinical work, and current pages ask for an unrestricted license from your state of employment. SAU does not address compact (multistate) licenses. RN license for clinicals covers the detail.

06DC, the territories, and what to ask

The District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the US Virgin Islands, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands do not appear on SAU's page, either as authorized or as excluded. If you live in one of them, ask SAU before you apply or, if you are already enrolled, before you look for a site.

Wherever you live, the questions to put to SAU in writing are the same: is my program authorized where I live, is it authorized where my clinical site is, and does it lead to licensure in the state where I plan to practice? Who to ask at SAU helps you pick the right person, and the states hub has a page for each state.

Our placement desk aims every search at states SAU's published list opens to your program, and flags any conflict between SAU's pages that touches your plans. The decision on your placement stays with SAU, and your plan starts in the right state.