Protections in occupations requiring State licensure

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an institution of higher education is not eligible to receive Federal education assistance funds with respect to any program of postsecondary education or training, including a degree or certificate program and any program offered by distance education or correspondence courses to students located in a State other than where the institution is physically located, that is designed to prepare students for entry into a recognized occupation or profession that requires licensing or other established requirements as a pre-condition for entry into such occupation or profession, unless, by not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act— (1) the successful completion of the program fully qualifies a student, in the metropolitan statistical area in which the student resides, in the State in which the student resides, and in any State in which the institution indicates, through advertising or marketing activities or direct contact with potential students, that a student will be prepared to work in the occupation or profession after successfully completing the program, to— (A) take any examination required for entry into the recognized occupation or profession in the metropolitan statistical area and any State described in this paragraph, including satisfying all Federal, State, or professionally mandated programmatic and specialized accreditation requirements, if any; and (B) be certified or licensed or meet any other academically related pre-conditions that are required for entry into the recognized occupation or profession in any such State; and (2) the institution offering the program provides timely placement for all of the academically related pre-licensure requirements for entry into the recognized occupation or profession, such as clinical placements, internships, or apprenticeships.