ICRAS 1469 1845-0105 v2 – Affected Public – For-Profit Institutions 7/18/2013

This request is to extend the information collection for the requirements in the policies and 

procedures related to the eligibility of foreign schools to apply to participate in Title IV, HEA programs 

that were added by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA). The HEOA added specific 

reporting requirements for foreign graduate medical schools and foreign nursing schools in relation to 

acceptable minimum test scores. And these regulations continue requirements to development and 

collection of consent forms that students in nursing and graduate medical programs will have to complete 

to allow the schools to request specified test scores from appropriate testing agencies and to then report 

those scores to their accrediting agency, and the Department as required. Also the regulations continue 

the additional reporting by graduate medical schools to their accrediting agencies of any material changes 

to the education programs offered or changes to the oversight bodies or affiliation agreements with 

hospitals and clinics. Foreign graduate medical schools are also required to publish all of the languages in 

which instruction is offered. 

§600.55 – Additional criteria for determining whether a foreign graduate medical school is eligible to 

apply to participate in the Direct Loan Program.

Regulation §600.55(c)(2) requires a foreign graduate medical school to determine the consent 

requirements to meet their specific country’s privacy laws and require the necessary consents of all 

students, who are U.S. citizens, nationals, or eligible permanent residents, that have been accepted for 

admission to enable the foreign school to comply with the collection and submission requirements in 

§600.55(d) for Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores, residency placement, and U.S. Medical 

Licensing Examination (USMLE) scores. 

Section 600.55(d) includes the changes to reporting requirements for foreign graduate medical 

schools as identified in HEOA Section 102(a)(2)(A)(i). 

The regulations in §600.55(d)(1) require a foreign graduate medical school to obtain, at its own expense, 

and by April 30 of each year submit to its accrediting authority for all students who are U.S. citizens, 

nationals, or eligible permanent residents: (i) MCAT scores, for those admitted during the preceding 

award year and the number of times each student took the exam; (ii) the percentage of students graduating 

during the preceding award year who are placed in an accredited U.S. medical residency; (iii) all USMLE 

scores earned during the preceding award year, disaggregated by step 1, step 2-CS and step2-CK, by each 

student and graduate and the date each student took each test, including any failed tests and (iv) a 

statement of its citizenship rate for the preceding calendar year and the methodology used to obtain the 

rate. A school would have to submit the data on MCAT scores and placement in an U.S. residency to the 

Department only upon request, but would be required to submit the USMLE data to the Department by 

April 30, unless notified by the Department. These changes are required by statutory changes in HEOA 

section 

The regulations at §600.55(e)(2) require a foreign graduate medical school to notify their 

accrediting body within one year of any material changes in (1) the educational programs, including 

clinical training programs; and (2) the overseeing bodies and in the formal affiliation agreements with 

hospitals and clinics.

Finally, the regulations in §600.55(g)(3) require a foreign graduate medical school to publish all 

the languages in which instruction is offered.

§600.57 – Additional criteria for determining whether a foreign nursing school is eligible to apply to 

participate in the Direct Loan Program.

This section specifies regulations for foreign nursing schools as identified in HEOA Sections 

102(a)(2)(A). 
ICRAS 1469 1845-0105 v2 – Affected Public – For-Profit Institutions 7/18/2013

The regulations specify additional Title IV, HEA eligibility criteria for foreign nursing schools. 

The foreign nursing school eligibility includes, among other items §600.57(a)(6)(i), where the school 

must determine the consent requirements to meet their specific country’s privacy laws for, and require the 

necessary consents of, all students accepted for admission who are U.S. citizens, nationals, or eligible 

permanent residents, to enable the school to comply with the requirements for collection and submission 

requirements identified in §600.57(a)(6)(ii).

The foreign nursing school eligibility also includes §600.57(a)(6)(ii) where annually, (A) at its 

own expense, obtain all results on the NCLEX-RN achieved by students and graduates who are U.S. 

citizens, nationals, or eligible permanent residents, together with the dates the student has taken the 

examination (including any failed examinations) and provide the results to the Department; or (B) as an 

alternative to obtaining the NCLEX results individually, the school may obtain a report or reports from 

the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSB), or an NCSB affiliate or NCSB contractor, 

reflecting the percentage of the school’s students and graduates taking the NCLEX-RN in the preceding 

year who passed the examination, or the data from which the percentage could be derived, and provide 

the report to the Department.

The burden hours calculated below include time for reviewing the regulations; for determining 

the method and means to incorporate any changes; develop or update systems and forms and formats for 

gathering the required information; and to prepare any required reports. The burden is all related to 

reporting. The Department is identifying a net overall decrease in the amount of burden related to these 

regulations due to a change in the number of institutions participating in the foreign school graduate 

medical and foreign nursing programs.

Section 600.55 – Additional criteria for determining whether a foreign graduate medical school is eligible 

to apply to participate in the Title IV, HEA programs.

§600.55(c)(2) – Admission criteria

# of Respondents # of Responses Hrs/Response # of Burden Hours

For-profit institutions

 4 4 X .50 2

§600.55(d)(1) – Collection and submission of data.

# of Respondents # of Responses Hrs/Response # of Burden Hours

For-profit institutions

4 4 X 1.41 6

§600.55(e) – Requirements for clinical training.

# of Respondents # of Responses Hrs/Response # of Burden Hours

For-profit institutions

1 1 X .82 1

§600.55(g) – Other criteria.

# of Respondents # of Responses Hrs/Response # of Burden Hours

For-profit institutions

4 4 X .33 2

Section 600.57 – Additional criteria for determining whether a foreign nursing school is eligible to apply 

to participate in the Title IV, HEA programs.
ICRAS 1469 1845-0105 v2 – Affected Public – For-Profit Institutions 7/18/2013

§600.57(a)(6)(i) – Consent forms

# of Respondents # of Responses Hrs/Response # of Burden Hours

For-profit institutions

0 0 X .50 0

§600.57(a)(6)(ii) – Reporting requirements

# of Respondents # of Responses Hrs/Response # of Burden Hours

For-profit institutions

0 0 X 1.50 0

TOTALS

Responses 13

Respondents 13

Burden Hours 11