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 area of this page currently includes the instructions and materials a school will need to complete all Direct Loan setup 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.