Remember Julian's figures for converting an FAA IR are for minimum hours. Don't expect to pass in minimum hours if you come back with a fresh FAA IR! That is not what the 15-hour course was designed for - it was designed for experienced foreign-registered pilots doing a conversion having used their overseas IRs subsequent to training. You will find this track rarely saves money overall - I have known of many, going through our school and others. I know someone who took the whole JAA IR course even having an FAA IR!