Foreign School Information

Authorized personnel at eligible schools located outside the United States (commonly referred to as foreign schools) use functionality within the U.S. Department of Education's (the Department's) Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) System to process William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans for eligible U.S. students who attend their schools. Before a foreign school may begin participating in the Direct Loan Program, it must apply to participate, receive a countersigned Program Participation Agreement and Eligibility and Certification Report, request COD System and Web site access, and complete funding related actions.

The Foreign School Direct Loan Setup and SAIG Overview area of this page currently includes the instructions and materials a school will need to complete all Direct Loan setup and SAIG Enrollment actions. The documents posted in this area are presented in the order in which the actions should be completed. Reviewing all posted documents will provide a complete picture of what a school must do.

To view all Foreign School Updates, click here

To view Electronic Announcements about the Direct Loan Program, click here

To view all Electronic Announcements, click here

To view all Dear Colleague Letters, click here

Foreign School Direct Loan Setup and SAIG Overview

Foreign School Direct Loan Processing

Foreign School Eligibility

Foreign School Assessments

Students

Schools

Managing Funds

Foreign School Frequently Asked Questions

Handbooks and Audit Guide

*The Department of Education strives to make all content accessible to everyone. While these documents do not currently meet the standards of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, Federal Student Aid is working to create accessible versions. If you need access to these documents before the accessible versions are available, please contact the Information Technology Accessibility Program Help Desk at ITAPSupport@ed.gov to help facilitate.

Last Modified: 10/31/2024 • Published: 03/28/2021