(a) Approval of postsecondary courses in foreign countries.

(1) In order to be approved a postsecondary course offered in a foreign country must meet all the provisions of this paragraph. A course offered by a foreign medical school (other than one located in Canada) must also meet all of the provisions of paragraph (b) of this section.

(i) The educational institution offering the course is an institution of higher learning, and

(ii) The course leads to a standard college degree or its equivalent.

(2) For the purpose of this paragraph, a degree is the equivalent of a standard college degree when the program leading to the degree has the same entrance requirements as one leading to a degree granted by a public degree-granting institution of higher learning in that country.

(b) Approval of courses offered by a foreign medical school. In addition to meeting all the criteria stated in paragraph (a) of this section, a course offered by a foreign medical school (other than one located in Canada) must also meet all of the following criteria:

(1) The school satisfies the criteria for listing as a medical school in the World Directory of Medical Schools published by the World Health Organization (WHO).

(2) The evaluating bodies (such as medical associations or educational agencies) whose views are considered relevant by the Director, Education Service, and which are located in the same country as the school—

(i) Recognize the school as a medical school, and

(ii) Approve the school.

(3) The school provides, and in the normal course requires its students to complete, a program of clinical and classroom instruction at least 32 months long. This program must be—

(i) Supervised closely by members of the school's faculty, and

(ii) Provided either.

(A) Outside the United States in facilities adequately equipped and staffed to afford students comprehensive clinical and classroom medical instruction, or

(B) Inside the United States, through a training program for foreign medical students which has been approved by all the medical licensing boards and evaluating bodies whose views are considered relevant by the Director, Education Service.

(4) The school has graduated classes during each of the two 12-month periods immediately preceding the date on which VA receives the school's application for approval of its courses.

(5) The Director, Education Service, shall withdraw approval of any course when the course or the school offering it fails to meet any of the approval criteria in this section or in Chapter 36, Title 38 U.S.C.

(6) In making the decisions required by this paragraph, the Director, Education Service, may consult with the Secretary of Education. The Director may review any information about a foreign medical school which the Secretary may make available.

(c) Approval of enrollments in foreign courses.

(1) Except as provided in paragraph (c)(2) of this section, the Department of Veterans Affairs will approve the enrollment of a veteran or eligible person in a course offered by an educational institution not located in a State when—

(i) The eligible person, serviceperson, veteran, or reservist meets the eligibility and entitlement requirements of either §§21.3040 through 21.3046, §§21.5040 and 21.5041, §§21.7040 through 21.7045, or §21.7540, as appropriate;

(ii) The eligible person's, serviceperson's, veteran's, or reservist's program of education meets the requirements of either §21.3021(h), §21.5230, §21.7020(b)(23), or §21.7520(b)(17), as appropriate; and

(iii) The course meets the requirements of this section and all other applicable VA regulations.

(2) VA may deny or discontinue the payment of educational assistance allowance to a veteran, serviceperson, eligible person or reservist pursuing a course in an institution of higher learning not located in a State when VA finds that the veteran's, serviceperson's, eligible person's, or reservist's enrollment is not in his or her best interest or the best interest of the Federal Government.

(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 3687)

[52 FR 13239, Apr. 22, 1987, as amended at 61 FR 29296, June 10, 1996]