Rider University believes that the vast majority of student complaints, grievances, or concerns can be handled in a fair and expeditious manner internally. Students residing both inside and outside the State of New Jersey must first try to resolve their complaint by contacting their College’s Dean’s office.

Complaints related to Grades, Academic Policies, or Student Conduct follow the Policies section of the Academic Catalog or the Student Code of Conduct manual available on the Rider website.

If a complaint that does not relate to Grades, Academic Policies, or Student Conduct cannot be resolved, or if a student wishes to challenge the decision of their complaint, the student can appeal their complaint within two years of the incident occurring. Students who wish to escalate their complaint may follow one of the appropriate steps outlined below:

  1. Contacting Rider University’s Accreditor, The Middle States Commission on Higher Education, at 1007 North Orange Street, 4th Floor, MB #166, Wilmington, DE 19801, complaints@msche.org or by visiting www.msche.org/complaints/.
  2. Contacting the SARA portal agency in the home state of the institution against which the complaint has been lodged. That agency shall notify the SARA portal agency for the state in which the student is located of receipt of that appealed complaint. For more information, visit www.nj.gov/highereducation/SARA.shtml.
  3. Contacting their state’s designated department of education or consumer affairs. For students residing in the State of New Jersey, contact Office of Secretary of Higher Education, P.O. Box 542, Trenton, NJ 08625-0542 or by visiting https://nj.gov/highereducation/OSHEComplaintInstructions.shtml. Students who reside outside of New Jersey may contact their state’s designated office from the list below:
StateAgency Information & URL to Complaint Process / Form (When Available)
AlabamaAlabama Commission on Higher Education
AlaskaAlaska Commission on Postsecondary Education
ArizonaArizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education
ArkansasArkansas Department of Higher Education
CaliforniaCalifornia Bureau for Private Post-secondary Education
ColoradoColorado Department of Higher Education
ConnecticutThe Connecticut Office of Higher Education
DelawareDelaware Department of Education, Higher Education Office. Contact Information: (302) 735-4120, dheo@doe.k12.de.us
District of ColumbiaDistrict of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education, Higher Education Licensure Commission
FloridaFlorida Department of Education
GeorgiaGeorgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission
HawaiiHawaii Post-secondary Education Authorization Program
IdahoIdaho State Board of Education
IllinoisIllinois Board of Education
IndianaIndiana Commission for Higher Education
IowaIowa College Student Aid Commission
KansasKansas Board of Regents
KentuckyKentucky Council on Postsecondary Education
LouisianaLouisiana Board of Regents
MaineMaine Department of Education
MarylandMaryland Higher Education Commission
MassachusettsMassachusetts Department of Higher Education
MichiganMichigan Department of Education (MDE)
MinnesotaMinnesota Office of Higher Education
MississippiMississippi Commission on College Accreditation
MissouriMissouri Department of Higher Education
MontanaMontana University System, Montana Board of Regents
NebraskaStudent Complaints Against Postsecondary Institutions
NevadaNevada Commission on Postsecondary Education
New HampshireNew Hampshire Department of Education
New MexicoNew Mexico Higher Education Department
New YorkNew York Office of College and University Evaluation
North CarolinaNorth Carolina Post-Secondary Education Complaints
North DakotaNorth Dakota University System
OhioOhio Board of Regents
OklahomaOklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
OregonHigher Education Coordinating Commission
PennsylvaniaPennsylvania Department of Education
Puerto RicoPuerto Rico Council of Education
Rhode IslandRhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education
South CarolinaSouth Carolina Commission on Higher Education
South DakotaSouth Dakota Department of Education
TennesseeTennessee Higher Education Commission
TexasTexas Higher Education Coordinating Board
UtahUtah Division of Consumer Protection
VermontVermont Department of Education
VirginiaState Council of Higher Education
WashingtonWashington Student Achievement Council
West VirginiaWest Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
WisconsinWisconsin Department of Public Instruction
WyomingWyoming Department of Education