International Education Council

Expanding Educational Options for American Students

The International Education Council (IEC) is a non-profit association based in Washington D.C. IEC closely tracks the issues and policies affecting international education, specifically those dealing with student financial aid. IEC communicates with and works with policy makers on issues regarding U.S. financial aid programs on behalf of its members, the international colleges and universities enrolling U.S. students.

EXPERTS IN U.S. FINANCIAL AID

Since 2003, IEC has been representing and assisting institutions of higher education outside of the United States that wish to participate in the U.S. federally supported student loan program. IEC’s experts understand how the policies and actions of the U.S. government affect international higher education, especially policies on student financial assistance.

IEC SEEKS CHANGE TO LAW NEEDED TO PERMIT ONLINE LEARNING

Sign up to receive a copy of IEC's Distance Education Webinar that was held on 6 December 2022

On 17 April, the U.S. Senate officially introduced the Providing Distance Education for Foreign Institutions Act (S. 1168), a bill to amend the Higher Education Act to provide Title IV program eligibility for distance education programs offered by foreign institutions so that their American students can continue to finance their educations abroad.

For the past three-plus years, a provision in the CARES Act of 2020, twice extended, waived the Higher Education Act distance education prohibition, with the most recent waiver having been included in the Fiscal Year 2022 US government funding package. That waiver expired on June 30^th, overnight making many students’ programs again ineligible for Direct Loans if offering online courses. View IEC's student advocacy page for more information on how your American students can help increase support for this important legislation

More Information

Updates on iec efforts to remove distance ed restrictions for americans receiving title iv loans abroad - learn more in upcoming webinar

Following several months of determined advocacy by IEC on behalf of its membership, Congressmen Brad Schneider, a Democrat from Illinois, and Lloyd Smucker, a Republican from Pennsylvania, introduced the Providing Distance Education for Foreign Institutions Act (HR 10404), a bill aimed at ensuring American students studying at universities abroad can continue to access federal student loans by removing a complete prohibition on distance education for foreign schools participating in Title IV. The proposed legislation is a companion measure to US Senate Bill 1168.

Join this free members-only webinar for the latest updates on the issue and to learn more about IEC's ongoing advocacy efforts. If your membership has expired, simply sign into your account to easily renew it before registering for the webinar. Please note that the registration link will require you to sign into your membership account before completing the webinar registration form. If you experience issues signing into your account or cannot remember your account credentials, please contact Sarah Lamson at slamson@bosepublicaffairs.com for assistance. The webinar will be recorded and made available for those who cannot participate live.

Register here.

IEC Success On Veterans Issues

Recent changes to US law and key policies at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) caused serious problems for some IEC members. IEC worked with the VA and the Congress to resolve the issue.

More Information

Important Updates
from our Executive Director

IEC Sends Letter to FSA on Foreign School Challenges Navigating E-App, FAFSA ISIR Delivery

IEC Submits Comments on 2023 ED Negotiated Rulemaking

IEC Comments on Incentive Compensation Rule Change

IEC Comments on Third-Party Servicer Guidance

IEC publishes 2022 Annual Report for Members

Education Department Issues Dear Colleague Letter on Supplemental Schedules

OPE Responds to IEC on Supplemental Schedule Concerns

IEC COVID-19 webinar – recordings available

Foreign Schools Audit Guide: IEC Comments

Details

International Education Council (IEC) is a non-profit association based in Washington D.C. IEC closely tracks the issues and policies affecting international education, specifically those dealing with student financial aid. IEC seeks to communicate with and influence policy maker decisions regarding U.S. financial aid programs on behalf of its members, the international colleges and universities enrolling U.S. students.

IEC dedicates itself to ensuring that student loan programs continue to be available to U.S. students who need them to finance their international educations. By providing international colleges and universities a focused and united voice on financial aid policy, IEC aids these institutions in administering and expanding the financial resources that are essential to recruiting and enrolling students from the United States. More information here.

Prospective Members

Thank you so much for your interest in IEC. For more information, please navigate to Membership. Please click "Haven't Registered Yet?" to begin the quick and easy registration process to join IEC.

Save the Date!

The 2014 Annual IEC Conference will be held on Monday, 30 June at the London University of the Arts. More details to come!