State Authorizations

The US Department of Education has made several important changes (effective July 1, 2020) to federal laws that govern how colleges and universities operate when offering distance (online or remote) education. Online-only programs at Palo Alto University are:

• BS in Psychology or BS in Psychology and Social Action, Online Program
• MS in Psychology
• MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Online Program

Colleges and universities that offer programs that are entirely online, must have approval to enroll students who are located outside of California in those programs. This approval must come from each state in which an enrolled student is located. For example:

Gabrielle lives in Indiana, and wants to enroll in our online MS program. Before she can enroll, PAU must have explicit approval from the State of Indiana to operate as an institution of higher education in their state. Until this happens, PAU cannot recruit for the MS program in Indiana, nor can PAU admit or enroll Gabrielle.

We are currently unable to admit students into our online-only programs if they are located in the following states. Please check back regularly for updates: