To expand the definition of institution of higher education in the Higher Education Act of 1965 with respect to certain graduate medical schools located outside of the United States.
This bill proposes to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 by expanding the definition of an institution of higher education to include certain graduate medical schools located outside of the United States. The amendment introduces specific criteria that these foreign medical schools must meet to qualify, potentially impacting their students' eligibility for federal student aid. One criterion requires that at least 60 percent of both enrolled students and graduates in the preceding year were not individuals described in section 484(a)(5), implying a focus on U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens. Alternatively, a school could qualify if it had a clinical training program approved by a U.S. state as of January 31, 2021, which involved an on-site visit , and continues to operate such a state-approved program. These changes aim to provide a pathway for more foreign medical schools to be recognized under federal higher education statutes, contingent on meeting these new standards.
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Timeline
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
To expand the definition of institution of higher education in the Higher Education Act of 1965 with respect to certain graduate medical schools located outside of the United States.
USA119th CongressHR-8279| House
| Updated: 4/14/2026
This bill proposes to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 by expanding the definition of an institution of higher education to include certain graduate medical schools located outside of the United States. The amendment introduces specific criteria that these foreign medical schools must meet to qualify, potentially impacting their students' eligibility for federal student aid. One criterion requires that at least 60 percent of both enrolled students and graduates in the preceding year were not individuals described in section 484(a)(5), implying a focus on U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens. Alternatively, a school could qualify if it had a clinical training program approved by a U.S. state as of January 31, 2021, which involved an on-site visit , and continues to operate such a state-approved program. These changes aim to provide a pathway for more foreign medical schools to be recognized under federal higher education statutes, contingent on meeting these new standards.