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Providing Distance Education for Foreign Institutions Act
12/15/2023, 4:07 PM
Summary of Bill S 1168
The bill outlines specific requirements that foreign institutions must meet in order to be eligible to offer these programs. These requirements include accreditation by a recognized accrediting agency, compliance with US laws and regulations, and the establishment of a process for resolving complaints from students.
Additionally, the bill requires the Secretary of Education to create a list of eligible foreign institutions and to regularly review and update this list. The Secretary is also tasked with monitoring the quality of education provided by these institutions and taking action if any issues arise. Overall, the Providing Distance Education for Foreign Institutions Act aims to expand educational opportunities for students in the United States by allowing them to access programs offered by foreign institutions. It also seeks to ensure that these programs meet certain standards of quality and compliance with US laws.
Congressional Summary of S 1168
Providing Distance Education for Foreign Institutions Act
This bill makes certain distance education programs offered by foreign institutions of higher education (IHEs) eligible to participate in federal student-aid programs, thereby making students participating in these programs eligible to receive federal student aid.
(The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, waived the statutory prohibition on foreign IHEs offering distance education, which allowed students participating in these programs to receive federal student aid. However, this waiver is set to end on the latest of June 30, 2023; the last day of the payment period that begins on or before June 30, 2023; or the last day of the first payment period following the end of the foreign authority's qualifying emergency.)
Under this bill, a foreign IHE program is eligible to participate in federal student-aid programs if
- not more than 12.5% of the program consists of courses offered principally through distance education,
- the foreign IHE has been evaluated and determined by an outside oversight entity (e.g., an accrediting agency) to have the capability to effectively deliver distance education programs, and
- the students receiving federal student aid are physically present in the country where the foreign IHE is located during the distance education instruction.
