In recent years, distance education offered by institutions of higher learning has been increasing, with such distance education being offered on an interstate basis by many institutions of higher learning. Often, students participate in such education in states where the institution of higher learning maintains no actual physical presence. Both the regulation and the availability of institutions of higher learning to participate in distance learning have been hampered by multi-jurisdictional differences between the states and uneven regulation among the states for the same programs. Various multi-state compacts have addressed this problem by creating a voluntary system of interstate reciprocity for institutions of higher learning to streamline authorization and regulations for institutions of higher learning that voluntarily agree to participate in a reciprocity program. The provision of such distance education is declared to affect the public safety and welfare and to be subject to regulation and control in the public interest. It is further the public policy of this State that such a program of reciprocity be made available on a voluntary basis to participating institutions of higher learning and that any other institutions of higher learning that choose not to participate continue to be regulated under current laws and rules that govern distance learning.