Providing Distance Education for Foreign Institutions Act

Summary · Congressional Research Service (nonpartisan)

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.