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Student Grievance Policy

Student Grievance Procedure and Resolution Process

It is the practice of North Georgia Technical College to maintain a grievance process available to all students that provides an open and meaningful forum for their grievances and the resolution of these grievances. The college seeks to resolve student grievances, complaints, and concerns in a time-responsive and fair manner.

This procedure does not address grievances related to unlawful harassment, discrimination and/or retaliation for reporting harassment/ discrimination against students. Those complaints are handled in accordance with TCSG’s Unlawful Harassment and Discrimination of Students Policy and Procedure

Special Note: The Student Grievance Procedure and Form is NOT to be used for Grade Appeals, Academic Misconduct, and Harassment or Discrimination complaints. Please refer to the college’s Course Catalog and Student Handbook for details on these respective procedures.

Students with a concern or grievance should begin the process at the institution (college) level.

  • To submit a student concern/grievance at the local college level, please follow North Georgia Technical College’s Student Grievance Procedure and use the Student Grievance Form.

If a resolution is not reached at the institution level, or if you believe that the nature of the complaint or its impact on the system, as a whole, warrants an immediate review by the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) administration, contact the TCSG Student Affairs Coordinator at grievances@tcsg.edu or call (404) 679-1692.

Out-of-State Online Students: 

Any complaints pertaining to a North Georgia Technical College online course or program should be filed with North Georgia Technical College in accordance with NGTC’s Student Grievance Procedure and Resolution Process as outlined in the NGTC College Catalog and Student Handbook.

Complaints needing further investigation beyond the college level may be submitted to TCSG using the Student/Academic Complaint Form. Before submitting to TCSG, students need to ensure they have followed North Georgia Technical College’s process. 

A student may appeal to the  Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission (GNPEC) if the institution’s and TCSG’s resolution is not satisfactory; however, please note that the Commission will not investigate a complaint unless the student has exhausted all available grievance procedures outlined by the institution. GNPEC does not resolve complaints about student grades and student conduct violations. These complaints fall under the jurisdiction of institutional policy. 

Download the Student Grievance Form
The State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) is a national initiative that establishes uniform standards for interstate offering of postsecondary distance education. SARA simplifies the process for institutions to provide online courses across state lines and ensures consistent consumer protections for students. If you are an online student residing in a SARA-participating state, you have specific rights and a formal process for addressing complaints related to distance education.
 
SARA Student Complaint Procedure and Policy
Learn about the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) complaint process, including your rights as an online student and the steps to resolve concerns. This resource explains what types of complaints fall under SARA, how to begin with your institution’s grievance process, and when to escalate to your state’s SARA portal entity.
 
GA-SARA Online Student Complaint Form
The U.S. Department of Education’s “Program Integrity” regulations require that each state has a student complaint procedure in order for public and private higher education institutions to be eligible for Title IV funds. GA-SARA is responsible for monitoring all written and signed student complaints against degree granting institutions authorized to operate in Georgia through SARA. If, after exhausting internal grievance procedures, the institution of higher education has not responded to the complainant’s satisfaction, or a satisfactory remedy has not been found, the complainant may contact GA-SARA for further investigation into the issue.